The CTF Sponsorship Program

• Free IDA Pro licenses for winning teams (license type varies)
• 1 IDA Pro license for the organizer (license type varies)
• Swag for winners and organizers (for mid/high-weighted events)

• The event must have a CTFtime listing
• Must be a non-inaugural event (unless the organizers have a strong track record with previous CTFs)
• Sponsorship requests must be submitted at least 3 months before the event (some exceptions can be made)
• Events must not have prior reports of misconduct
• Event organizers must provide Hex-Rays with logo placement and sponsorship mention on all event promotions and communications

In the event we have more than 1 request within a quarter, what will help your CTF get selected is: 

• The event weight on CTFtime. We aim for high-profile CTFs, so if your weighted 50-100, that helps. We also want to include upcoming CTFs and aim for inclusion of CTFs weighted 15-49 at least once a year.
• Regional diversity. We want to spread joy across the world and try to avoid sponsoring multiple events in the same region within one year.
• Strong history and community engagement. Do you have a lot of participants? Do you regularly have post-event writes ups by you, the organizer, or participants? This all helps with the selection process and should be included in the request form.

• Licenses are for non-commercial use only.
• Winners must undergo a KYC (Know Your Customer) process before receiving licenses, learn more about it here.
• If a winner already owns a license, they will receive 1 free renewal of their current license or an upgrade to the next tier (extending for 1-year).
• A team can only win 1 license per 12-month period (subsequent wins earn an license upgrade or premium swag).
• For lower weighted CTFs, if the winning team is ranked in the Top 25, we will default to the next place team that is not in the Top 25. We want to provide prize opportunities for less seasoned players.

• IDA Expert-6 named licenses for up to 5 team members (1 year, non-commercial)
• $500 per team member to support travel to 1 in-person CTF
• Swag package: Team + Hex-Rays co-branded hoodie and t-shirt
• Unique promo code to share with peers and followers for discounted Hex-Rays products or training
• Participation in our Power User Feedback Program (2x year, casual conversation with Product team)
• Total sponsorship value is $45,000+ per team

• 2 public write-ups or blog posts* on a CTF challenge completed during the sponsorship period
• 1 original CTF challenge to be used in a Hex-Rays or industry event (all credits will be given to the team)

*We can host, publish, and promote posts on the official Hex-Rays blog.

High-Tier Teams (3 slots):

• Ranked in the Top 25 of CTFtime in the last 2 years
• Competes in 15+ CTFs/year or has at least half the team with this track record
• Demonstrates global event participation (e.g., DEF CON Quals, HITCON, PlaidCTF)
• Bonus: Strong write-up visibility, original tooling, or notable technical contributions

Rising Star Team (1 slot):

• Currently ranked Top 100 or showing steady rank improvement
• Competes in at least 8+ CTFs/year
• Shares quality write-ups or research
• Bonus: First-time qualifiers for major events, and teams that are inclusive or diverse (e.g., students, underrepresented regions, or gender-diverse groups)

• All selected team members must undergo a KYC (Know Your Customer) process before receiving licenses, learn more about it here
• Licenses are for non-commercial use
• Teams must have no history of misconduct or banned behavior

• Application window opens: 25 July 2025
• Application window closes: 31 August 2025
• Decisions announced: 19 September 2025