UP.Partners

At UP.Partners, we don’t just track the future, we aim to shape it. We’re all about backing bold founders who are building the world we’ll live in tomorrow. Internally, we constantly debate, refine, and stress-test the ideas that shape our investment theses. But great ideas get sharper through discourse — so rather than keeping these conversations behind closed doors, we’re bringing them to you. Today, we’re thrilled to share our new Substack, where we will share our perspectives, opinions, and insights. These monthly content pieces will spark ideas, challenge assumptions, and maybe even inspire a few of you to push back on our thinking. We believe that the best futures aren’t just predicted, they’re built through bold dialogue and daring action. Let’s dig in! 🚀 Read "The New Conversation Between Man and Machine" here: https://lnkd.in/e_nMpuVb

Celebrating Adam Grosser’s Selection as an MIT Mobility Initiative Senior Fellow At UP.Partners, we are committed to supporting visionary leaders who are shaping the future of mobility. With this in mind, we are excited to share the news that our Chairman & Managing Partner, Adam Grosser, has been selected as a 2025 Senior Fellow by the MIT Mobility Initiative. This program brings together a small cohort of individuals with unique insights and professional experience to contribute toward scholarship that advances safe, clean and inclusive mobility systems. Adam’s work at the intersection of AI and the physical world — combined with his deep expertise in transformative mobility technologies — will help make a meaningful contribution to the field. Congratulations to Adam and all of the 2025 Senior Fellows! We can’t wait to see the insights and innovations that emerge from this collaboration with the team at MIT. Read more about the MIT Mobility Initiative here: https://lnkd.in/gJCp6TvW #MobilityInnovation #MIT #UPPartners #FutureOfMobility #Leadership

🚁 Mark Groden's Vision for the Future of General Aviation ✈️ At the 2024 UP.Summit, Skyryse CEO Mark Groden, PhD shared his insights into transforming general aviation. In this session, he tackles some of the industry's toughest challenges — complexity, safety, and cost — and presents Skyryse’s solution to making flying safer and more accessible. Key Takeaways: - The Current State of General Aviation: Despite a growing population, the number of general aviation pilots has dramatically decreased since 1980. - The Complexity of Flying: The varied aircraft in general aviation are complex and require extensive training and memorization, making it difficult to attract new pilots. - Safety Concerns: Most general aviation accidents are due to pilot error, a challenge exacerbated by the complexity of operating these aircraft. - Skyryse's Innovative Solutions: By integrating fly-by-wire technology and advanced automation, Skyryse aims to simplify operations, reduce accidents, and make flying more intuitive. - The Future of Flying Cars: Groden argues that the dream of flying cars doesn’t require new aircraft types but can be achieved by evolving general aviation with accessible, affordable, and safer technologies. This vision of a safer, more affordable flying future is closer than you think. Watch Mark Groden’s full presentation to learn more: https://lnkd.in/emGeTnt3 #UPSummit #GeneralAviation #Innovation #Aviation #Skyryse #FutureOfFlying #TechInnovation #FlyByWire

The Future of Freight: Range Energy & ZF Group Partner to Scale Electric Trailers Across North American Commercial Fleets 🚛 At UP.Partners, we believe the future of mobility is cleaner, more efficient, and driven by innovation. That’s why we’re excited to see Range Energy, one of our portfolio companies, partnering with ZF Group, a global leader in mobility tech, to accelerate the adoption of electric-powered trailers across North America. By integrating ZF’s AxTrax 2 e-axle into Range’s eTrailer System, this partnership is addressing critical fleet needs — lower emissions, improved fuel economy, and extended range. With commercial fleet operators under pressure to meet emissions targets, scalable solutions like Range’s powered trailers will play a key role in the transition to zero-emission trucking. Read more about this recently announced collaboration: https://lnkd.in/ekhhdjg5  #Mobility #Trucking #Logistics #CostSavings #EVs #ElectricTrucks #ElectricTrailers #UPPartners #Innovation

The Return of Supersonic Travel 🚀✈️ At the 2024 UP.Summit, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl took the stage to share his vision for the future of aviation — a future where supersonic travel is not just possible but practical, sustainable, and widely accessible. His talk explored the stagnation in aircraft innovation and why bold action is needed to maintain U.S. leadership in aerospace. Just months after his talk, Boom Supersonic made history! On January 28, 2025, their XB-1 demonstrator became the first independently developed jet to break the sound barrier — reaching Mach 1.122 over the same Mojave Desert where Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in 1947. A major milestone on the path to supersonic commercial flight. 🎥 Watch the full video from UP.Summit: https://lnkd.in/eQYeJG_k Key Takeaways from Blake’s talk: - ✈️ The aviation industry has been stuck in incremental improvements — Boom is pushing for true innovation. - 🚀 XB-1 is proving that private companies can lead the charge in supersonic flight. - 🌎 Overture, Boom’s commercial supersonic jet, is designed to cut transoceanic travel times in half. - 🛫 Airlines are on board, with United, American, and Japan Airlines having placed orders. - 📜 Early and proactive regulatory collaboration is streamlining the certification process. The return of supersonic commercial flight isn’t just a dream — it’s happening, and we’d like to congratulate Boom on the incredible milestone of their first successful supersonic test flight! #Aerospace #Supersonic #Boom #BoomSupersonic #UPSummit

The LA Tech Community Cares Fund The recent wildfires across LA have left deep scars on our communities — displacing many families, small businesses, and individuals. The road to recovery will take time, but we can help rebuild together. UP.Partners stands with the LA Tech Community Cares Fund, a collective effort to provide direct support to those most in need — from affected families to the firefighters who risked everything to protect them. If you’re able, please consider donating or sharing this initiative to help those hit hardest. Every contribution makes a difference, and our hearts go out to those impacted by the wildfires. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gc4Kc_kv 

Unlocking Superhuman Productivity in the Physical World AI is revolutionizing the digital world, but what about the physical one? At the UP.Summit, Teleo shared how their technology is addressing critical challenges in industries like construction, mining, and agriculture. Teleo’s innovative platform retrofits heavy machinery to enable supervised autonomy, empowering a single operator to control multiple machines from miles away. This breakthrough technology tackles workforce shortages, enhances safety, and optimizes productivity. Key takeaways from the presentation: - 🚜 Supervised autonomy: Combining human oversight with autonomous capabilities to operate machinery more efficiently. - 🛠 Addressing workforce challenges: Making physically demanding jobs safer and more accessible, even for those in remote locations or with physical disabilities. - 📈 Scaling across industries: Deployed in 10 sectors and growing — most recently into the logging, port logistics, pulp and paper, and munitions clearing industries. Watch the full talk on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/efwNN7nn #Teleo #UPSummit #UPPartners #AI #Automation #AutonomousTechnology #SupervisedAutonomy #Construction #Mining #Automation #FutureOfWork #Productivity #HeavyMachinery

🚀 The Next Space Age: Andy Lapsa at the UP.Summit At last year’s UP.Summit, we were thrilled to hear from Andy Lapsa, co-founder and CEO of Stoke Space, as he took the stage to share a transformative vision for the space industry. Andy delivered an inspiring talk on the parallels between historical innovations in transportation and the monumental shift now underway in space exploration. In his presentation, Andy unpacked how reusable rocket technology isn’t just a technological breakthrough — it’s the key to unlocking an entirely new era of accessibility, reliability, and scalability in space. 🎥 Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eqv4ACFP Key Takeaways: - 🌍 Historical lessons in innovation: From the Roman Empire’s roads to the USA’s interstate highway system and the commercial flight revolution, infrastructure and breakthrough technologies have always driven major economic and societal shifts. - 🚀 Space as the next frontier: Andy draws compelling comparisons between early ocean vessels, rail systems, and air travel to highlight the massive potential of reusable space vehicles. - 💡 Stoke's reusability revolution: Stoke’s focus on reusable rockets could reduce costs by up to 20x, offering on-demand, reliable access to any orbit at any time. 📈 Economic impact: Space flight availability and reliability are set to mimic the explosive growth seen in air and freight industries, with a focus on customer needs for speed, availability, and dependability. Andy reminded us that innovation is about reducing friction — whether in transportation, commerce, or exploration. The next great leap? Making space accessible, dependable, and a foundational part of the global economy. #UPSummit #SpaceInnovation #FutureOfTransportation #ThoughtLeadership #ReusableRockets #Space #Stoke #StokeSpace

Shining a Light on the Future of Energy ☀️🔌 Tristan Semmelhack, CTO of Reflect, presented an inspiring vision for addressing the global energy challenge at the 2024 #UPSummit. With billions of people worldwide lacking access to clean and scalable energy solutions, Tristan explores a groundbreaking solution: space-based solar energy delivered dynamically via a constellation of reflectors in low-Earth orbit. In this video, Tristan delves into: - The critical link between energy availability and quality of life. - Why existing solutions, while promising, have limitations. - How Reflect Orbital aims to unlock solar energy's full potential by delivering sunlight on demand — even at night. - The near-term and transformative applications of this technology, starting with scalable lighting solutions in underserved areas. Watch the full video to discover how Reflect Orbital plans to scale this innovative approach and why it could redefine how humanity powers its future. 🚀 Watch now: https://lnkd.in/epwCiwD4 #Reflect #ReflectOrbital #Energy #CleanEnergy #Solar #SolarEnergy #UPSummit

Georgia Power Company Chooses LineVision to Boost Grid Capacity and Reliability 🌍 🔌 At UP.Partners, we’re proud to support portfolio companies like LineVision, who are driving innovation in the energy sector. Recently featured in POWERGRID International (DISTRIBUTECH), LineVision’s dynamic line rating (DLR) technology is being deployed by Georgia Power, the largest electric utility in the state, as part of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. Here’s why this matters: 1️⃣ Unlocking Grid Capacity: By leveraging real-time data on local conditions, LineVision’s DLR technology increases grid capacity safely, brings more clean energy online, and helps lower energy costs for customers. 2️⃣ Faster Deployment: Unlike traditional infrastructure upgrades, DLR technology can be deployed in just a few months, providing a cost-effective solution to address congestion and meet growing electricity demands. 3️⃣ Driving Collaboration: Georgia Power is sharing data and insights from this deployment to encourage broader adoption of grid-enhancing technologies, paving the way for a more resilient and efficient power grid. LineVision’s work demonstrates how innovative technologies can address today’s energy challenges by optimizing the efficiency of the energy we’re already creating and strengthening the grid long term. 🌟 Dive into the article on POWERGRID International: https://lnkd.in/eEzxEtJz 🎥 And watch the full interview on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/eaMiKZy4 #Energy #Infrastructure #Innovation #PowerGrid #GridEnhancement #LineVision #UPPartners #GeorgiaPowerCompany #GeorgiaPower