Capital Factory Reaffirms Commitment Amid SXSW Changes

In light of SXSW’s recent decision to exclude the U.S. Military and the supporting industrial base from its sponsored programming, Capital Factory reaffirms our commitment to supporting all innovators and partners in pursuing technological advancement, societal progress, and the defense of freedom and democracy. We respect musicians’ right to express themselves and choose where to play; this is a sacred freedom that our soldiers and veterans have risked their lives to protect. Capital Factory will work closely with the U.S. Army and other partners on government and defense-related events in March 2025. We also look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership with SXSW in 2025 and beyond.

At Capital Factory, we believe that innovation thrives in an environment of inclusivity and collaboration. We strive to provide a platform all year round where diverse ideas can flourish and pioneers from all sectors — including defense and technology — can come together to solve the world’s biggest challenges. 

“Capital Factory is still ‘game on’ for government and defense-related events in March 2025,” said Joshua Baer, Founder and CEO. “We look forward to continuing to collaborate with SXSW on non-defense related programming in 2025 and beyond.”

Capital Factory has enjoyed a long-standing partnership with SXSW and believes it has had an immeasurable impact on Austin and the rest of the world by bringing together diverse voices and collaborators for decades. One of the most unique and valuable aspects of SXSW has been its ability to have artists, musicians, filmmakers, technologists, corporate executives, and government leaders experience the serendipity that can only be found in such a diverse community. We look forward to continuing this relationship in 2025 and beyond as we navigate these sensitive issues together.

This is not “us versus them.” While we respect SXSW’s need to make hard decisions, we remain steadfast in our conviction that progress is best achieved when all voices are heard and all contributions are valued. The partnership between the US government and commercial technology is over a hundred years old. It has produced world-changing innovations such as aviation, the internet, global telecommunications, etc. They fund the risky deep-tech that venture capitalists are afraid of. The Army Futures Command has been an incredible community partner, resulting in billions of dollars in local economic impact. 

“Our national security depends on collaboration between the government and the private sector to help find innovative solutions to our most pressing concerns,” continued Baer. “Capitalism is our nation's greatest competitive advantage in technology innovation.” 

Capital Factory is located in the center of downtown Austin, just a few blocks from the convention center. Since 2018, it has been the center of gravity for government and defense-related programming with more than 10,000 participants and government partners such as the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Defense Innovation Unit, NGA, Small Business Administration, DARPA, ARPA-H, FBI, and many others. The commercial industry has also participated, including Amazon Web Services, Booz Allen, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Raytheon, and many more. Most of these partners have already made plans to host programming in March during SXSW, and the announcement by SXSW does not prohibit that in any way. Capital Factory programming in March will continue without interruption, as it does every year.

For more information on the Capital Factory Center for Dual-Use Innovation or how you can participate in Capital Factory programming in March, please email dualuse@capitalfactory.com.