Uptake and Somewear awarded Air Force contract for predictive maintenance. CHICAGO, IL - Uptake Technologies, a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning-driven asset performance management, today announced it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S. Air Force through AFWERX. The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. This project will demonstrate Uptake's predictive analytics suite - which combines historical work order data with time series sensor inputs from Air Force vehicles - to forecast failures, reduce downtime, and enhance fleet readiness. Uptake is teaming with Somewear Labs, a leader in critical communications, to connect deployed fleets to command in real time. Somewear's resilient network and integration framework send vehicle diagnostics into Uptake's platform, over mesh and satellite, so predictive insights are available even when teams operate in disconnected environments. "Partnering with Uptake is a force multiplier for mission readiness, combining resilient edge-to-command connectivity with AI-driven, predictive insights so teams can see, decide, and act faster," noted CEO of Somewear Labs James Kubik. "Our open, modular communications framework connects Uptake's predictive maintenance AI to any sensor or platform and advances our commitment to a unified battlespace where edge data reliably flows to command." The contract builds on Uptake's decade of commercial success in predictive maintenance, where its analytics platform has helped some of the world's largest fleets avoid breakdowns, reduce repair costs, and extend asset lifespans. For the Air Force, the platform will be adapted to deliver mission-tailored Condition-Based Maintenance Plus (CBM+) insights, enabling more efficient sustainment and improved operational availability. "We're extremely excited for the opportunity to extend our Defense-related work to the Air Force and prove the outsized value predictive analytics can offer the airmen at Kadena Air Force Base," said Uptake CEO Adam McElhinney. "Like the Marine Corps and Army before, Uptake will help optimize maintenance activities, improving safety, efficiency, and reliability." About Uptake Technologies Headquartered in Chicago, Uptake transforms industrial data into actionable insights that prevent equipment failures and improve efficiency. Its predictive analytics solutions, backed by 55 patents and over 300 billion analyzed data points, deliver tangible ROI for global leaders in transportation, logistics, and energy. Learn more at www.uptake.com. About Somewear Labs Somewear's software platform and hardware enable commercial and government teams to maintain situational awareness during high-pressure operations - in any environment. Somewear is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and trusted by a wide range of customers, from helicopter paramedics to wildland firefighters, to operators within the U.S. Department of Defense. The company's purpose is to build best-in-class solutions that keep people in touch, informed, and safe anywhere in the world.Learn more at www.somewearlabs.com The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com. As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com

Doran Manufacturing has partnered with Uptake Technologies and is aiming to improve tire safety and fuel efficiency for fleets of all sizes by integrating Uptake Analytics with Doran 360 TPMS.

Adam McElhinney, the CEO of Uptake Technologies, a predictive analytics company, said he expects more companies will turn to the power of AI over the next decade to optimize data, leading to more informed decisions.Speaking with FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller on Thursday at FreightWaves’ F3: Future of Freight Festival, McElhinney discussed the future of AI in logistics. McElhinney’s company helps businesses transform data into insights that help them make better decisions to minimize unexpected downtime.McElhinney, who has been working in machine learning for 20 years, said AI is here to stay and will be even more deeply integrated into logistics companies within the decade. He recommended companies that are curious about AI consider what problems they hope to solve and determine if AI would be the best solution.“You’re going to see a lot more chat interfaces, voice interfaces,” he said. “You’re going to see all that unstructured data that we’re all sitting on — work orders, random Excel files, documents — become queryable, identifiable, and all that will have a positive impact on the industry in general.”He pointed out large language models (LLMs) as an opportunity for fleets. Important data about trucks can be hidden in the comments, notes and messages that go back and forth in a company, rather than just work orders themselves. The LLM can examine and structure that data in a searchable way, which McElhinney said enables customers to use their own data to predict failures or breakdowns — leading to big savings by avoiding unexpected costs. McElhinney also said AI can be handy for search