An Israeli deep-tech software company has won the inaugural tech competition at AUSA in Washington, DC.
R2 Wireless was one of eight winners of the US Army’s xTechDisrupt competition earlier this week at the Association of the US Army’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Exposition. The xTechDisrupt competition was the first competition in the US Army’s FUZE initiative that provides funding to start-ups to purchase and field equipment to soldiers in weeks.
A total of 375 companies participated in the event, giving short one-minute pitches to three-judge panels in one of four key areas: electronic warfare; power generation, management or storage; unmanned aerial systems; and counter-unmanned aerial systems. R2 won the c-UAS area.
Of the competitors, 32 finalists pitched their solutions before the eight winners were selected. According to a release by AUSA, each winner will receive $62,500 and an opportunity to participate in the US Army Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center experimentation event in Hawaii scheduled for November 7 to 16.
The company has carved out a unique niche in the world of wireless threat detection and spectrum awareness. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Yiftach Richter and led by CEO Onn Fenig, its mission is to provide full-spectrum wireless defense for military, civilian, and critical infrastructure applications.
R2 Wireless talks on the 'invisible layer of defense'
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post following the competition, Fenig explained that the war in Ukraine had “shifted warfare on its head” where the use of the electromagnetic spectrum is more widespread.
“If you have a larger budget or a larger army, it doesn’t mean you will win the war,” he said. “In a world where autonomous platforms and sensors are becoming weapons and energy is becoming gunpowder, we are bringing the invisible layer of defense.”
R2 Wireless specializes in real-time radio frequency (RF) signal detection and geolocation. The company’s flagship platform, ODIN, is a sophisticated system that leverages software-defined passive sensing and edge AI to detect, locate, and identify any device emitting a wireless signal across any environment or platform. This includes everything from drones, IEDs, and smartphones to smartwatches and wireless headphones.
ODIN is designed for standalone functionality or full integration with any C2 platform, making it highly adaptable to remote or hostile environments where traditional surveillance systems may fail. With their solution, maneuvering forces are equipped with real-time wide RF spectrum situational awareness, enabling them to immediately respond to dynamic threats.
According to Richter, the existing drone-detection systems are irrelevant for many of the drones on the battlefield including DIY and FPV drones that are popular in the war between Ukraine and Russia.
But, with ODIN, “Anything that transmits, we will catch it,” he said.
Though headquartered in Israel, R2 opened a US base in Texas this past May to address the growing threats and rapid advancements in electronic warfare and counter-UAS programs.
“Our main market is defense with the US Army as our main customer,” Richter said, adding that the company has sub-contractors in the US to manufacture the hardware using American-made off-the-shelf components. The company also has a strong market in Europe with military and civilian customers in Asia as well as South America.
Packed schedule
The company’s win at AUSA was not the first introduction to the US Army.
Richter explained that the company has already participated in NATO, British, and American army drills to show their solution “in action on the frontlines.”
Last month, the company participated in a drill in which they placed their solution on Bradley Fighting Vehicles as well as Abraham tanks and successfully detected and localized aerial threats. During the US Army Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center experimentation event, R2 will also be participating in another US Army division-wide drill with ODIN.
R2 Wireless has positioned itself as a key player in the defense and security sectors. Its technology is used by military and law enforcement agencies to secure perimeters, uncover hidden devices, and maintain real-time situational awareness.
Beyond defense, a large component of the company’s solutions are also applied in civilian contexts, helping protect commercial enterprises and public safety organizations from emerging wireless threats. Critical infrastructure such as airports, power plants, and government facilities benefit from ODIN’s ability to detect unauthorized or malicious wireless activity.
As the number of connected devices continues to grow exponentially, the need for comprehensive spectrum awareness becomes increasingly urgent. R2 Wireless is not just responding to this challenge, it is shaping the future of wireless defense by offering a new kind of visibility into the invisible world of radio frequencies.
And as Richter stressed, “we don’t just talk, we deliver.”