UP.Partners

Check out this CNBC feature on Range Energy’s unique approach to decarbonizing freight transport by electrifying trailers instead of tractors. As Ali Javidan, CEO of Range Energy, explains: “Everything that is built into the tractor is really built to manage the load of the trailer properly, and what we’re saying is, ‘Well, why don’t we do that directly through our Range system by electrifying the trailer in a way that has never been done before?’” With innovative trailers that propel themselves and power essential systems, Range’s technology has the potential to save millions in fuel costs and cut CO2 emissions significantly. Watch the video from CNBC here: https://lnkd.in/gHkSnWZN

“Airline schedules are complex puzzles,” writes Edward Russell in this recent piece for Fast Company. “Everything from demand to airport ground staff, to flight connections go into the mix. And the smallest change can mean the difference between a profit or loss, or even whether a flight operates on time, on any given route.” Read the full article to learn about Odysee — a startup launched by the UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines partnership — which is pioneering predictive AI technology to reshape airline scheduling: https://lnkd.in/eAXAbhmw Currently in testing with Alaska Airlines, Odysee’s AI tool harnesses data from over 700,000 flights to predict revenue outcomes of potential scheduling changes with up to 90% accuracy. It analyzes variables like demand, gate availability, and staffing — empowering airlines to make informed adjustments that minimize delays and maximize route profitability. #AviationInnovation #AI #MachineLearning #FlightOptimization #Aerospace #MobilityTech #FutureOfAirTravel #UPLabs #UPPartners #PredictiveAI #AlaskaAirlines #Aerospace #FastCompany

At the 8th FII Institute (#FII8) in Riyadh, UP.Partners’ Chairman and Managing Partner Adam Grosser joined thought leaders and innovators across three panels to discuss how technology and investment strategies will shape the future of human-centric industries, climate tech, and urban mobility. Each discussion offered insights into advancing sustainable technology while maximizing human potential and creating new investment opportunities. Panel 1: The Role of Women in the 5th Industrial Revolution In a dynamic conversation with Ebru Özdemir (Limak Group of Companies), Edith Yeung (Race Capital), and Francois Barrault (Digiworld Institute), moderated by Rima Assi from McKinsey & Company, Adam and panelists explored how women’s leadership can drive innovation in AI and cognitive technologies. Together, they addressed how AI can be leveraged to enhance human potential and efficiency without displacing it. Watch the conversation here: https://lnkd.in/e7k_E3_J Panel 2: Closing the Series B Funding Gap in Climate Tech Against a backdrop of a 33% global decline in growth funding for climate tech, top climate VCs debated the pressing need for strategic frameworks to secure Series B funding in this space. Adam moderated this session with insights from Gregory Dewerpe (noa), Jan Lozek (Future Energy Ventures), and Bruce Niven (Aramco Ventures), addressing strategies to bridge the funding gap and uncover new high-yield opportunities. Watch the session here: https://lnkd.in/e-xTCngN Panel 3: What Will Globalize Innovative Mobility? In this forward-looking session, Adam led a discussion with pioneers such as Gene Berdichevsky (Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc.), JoeBen Bevirt (Joby Aviation), Jean Todt (United Nations), and Adam Woodworth (Wing). Together, they explored the infrastructure and investment needed to scale innovative mobility solutions for global urban centers. Watch the panel here: https://lnkd.in/etWUKqhT As we embrace the 5th Industrial Revolution, fostering human potential, promoting sustainable climate tech investment, and advancing urban mobility will require collaboration across sectors. We’re honored to support these discussions and explore what it takes to fuel transformative change. #FutureInvestmentInitiative #FII8 #5thIndustrialRevolution #ClimateTech #UrbanMobility #FutureOfWork #Aviation #Mobility #AI #VentureCapital #UPPartners

Aviation’s efficiency gains have slowed, with progress largely driven by engines — while airframe innovation has lagged or not been responsible for as much of the realized efficiency gains as engines. At this year’s UP.Summit, we heard from companies that are pushing the boundaries in both platform design and propulsion technology. New ultra-efficient aircraft concepts (like that being developed by JetZero) are enhancing aerodynamics by blending the fuselage and wings, thus achieving significant drag and weight reductions. Meanwhile, advances in hypersonic propulsion (from the likes of Venus Aerospace) promise to redefine high-speed travel, with engines capable of achieving extreme speeds with improved time savings. These innovations reflect the potential of new designs and propulsion systems to reshape the future of aviation and transportation. To explore the trends and technologies we believe will reshape the future of mobility, download our latest research, The Moving World Report: https://lnkd.in/gjU_d5rC #AviationInnovation #FutureOfMobility #SustainableAviation #PropulsionTechnology #UPSummit #UPPartners #TransportationTrends #Aerospace #MobilityTransformation #Hypersonic #TheMovingWorld

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting an unforgettable evening at our hangar in the iconic Santa Monica Airport as part of #LATechWeek. The event brought together leading innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors in the mobility and technology sectors for a productive and engaging evening of conversations and connections. The vibrant atmosphere sparked lively discussions about the future, with many guests exploring potential collaborations and new ventures. It was inspiring to see so many great people come together to share ideas, foster innovation, and strengthen California’s technology community. We’d like to thank everyone who attended for making this event such a success, as well as Fenwick & West, Justworks, and Distillery for their sponsorship and collaboration. We look forward to continuing these important conversations and driving forward the future of technology and mobility together. Here are a few highlights from the evening! #LATechWeek #UPLabs #Innovation #TechCommunity #FenwickAndWest #Justworks #FutureOfMobility

The 2024 UP.Summit was nothing short of magical. From the roar of World War II fighters to the silent flight of fully electric planes, we witnessed 100 years of aviation history and got a glimpse into the future of mobility. The event showcased groundbreaking innovations in space exploration, autonomous and electric vehicles, hypersonic travel, and more. The next wave of mobility opportunities will require disruptive innovation across technology, infrastructure, supply chains, and human resources — and this year’s UP.Summit is where many of the important conversations surrounding every facet of mobility happened. The UP.Summit brought together the top minds from aerospace, automotive, maritime, AI, policy-making, military, and beyond — innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors all working together to build a better and exciting future. This year's event broke records, inspired 19,000+ students and hosted 12,000+ attendees at the Community Day, leaving us feeling more motivated than ever to transform the moving world. We had several amazing companies that had their products and technology on display, including: AeroVironment, Archer, Boom Supersonic, Boston Dynamics, Estes Industries, LLC, General Atomics, Hermeus, L3Harris Technologies, Loft Dynamics, Meyers Manx, Nikola Corporation, Pivotal, Radiant, REGENT, SpaceX, Stoke Space, Teleo, Tesla, Textron Aviation, Trousdale Ventures, VAST, Walmart, Wing, Zipline, and many more. It’s hard to capture the essence and energy of the UP.Summit in words, so we put together a couple of recap videos to help — and we encourage you to check them out! https://lnkd.in/gaEfhyfv https://lnkd.in/gCsvbwKr #UPSummit #FutureOfMobility #Innovation #SpaceExploration #STEMInspiration #Aerospace #Auto #Automotive #Tech #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Economy

Just Announced: J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. and UP.Labs Unite to Establish Logistics Venture Lab to Fuel the Next Wave of Innovation in Logistics and Freight Today at the UP.Summit, UP.Labs and J.B. Hunt — one of the largest supply chain solutions providers in North America — announced their establishment of the Logistics Venture Lab (LVL), which will launch AI-enabled startups to solve core industry challenges. The logistics and freight-focused lab will aim to launch as many as six startups over the next three years to solve core strategic challenges within the industry. The startups — the first of which the companies target to begin launching in 2025 — are inspired by opportunities to drive efficiency and solve common problems faced by providers in the logistics and freight transportation space. They will focus on key industry service areas such as brokerage, dedicated, intermodal, and truckload, among others. “Having successfully collaborated with Porsche AG, Alaska Airlines, and an undisclosed retail corporate partner, we’re excited to bring our unique venture lab model to a new transportation sector — logistics and freight,” said John Kuolt, Founder & CEO of UP.Labs. Click here for the full story: https://lnkd.in/eds4s8xr #Logistics #News #VentureCapitalNews #StartupNews #JBHunt #UPSummit

During the UP.Summit, we were proud to announce the first startup that’s come from the UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines partnership! Meet Odysee — odysee.ai — an AI-enabled startup that's taking a new approach to schedule optimization. Launched with $5M in seed funding led by UP.Partners, Odysee is an innovative, new flight schedule optimization software platform that leverages AI and big data to optimize asset configuration for the airline industry and other logistics operators. The platform will ensure the best use of each aircraft asset and the interconnections between them, empowering teams to more effectively optimize one of the most complex areas of an airline’s business. The partnership between UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines was established as part of Alaska Star Ventures, Alaska Airlines’ investment arm and is aligned with Alaska’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Over the next three years, the partnership will launch additional startups focused on solving key challenges in aviation and mobility. “What sets Odysee apart is its ability to help airline schedulers assess the various tradeoffs that come with certain schedule changes, allowing them to make more informed choices in building comprehensive flight schedules,” said Steve Casley, Odysee Chief Executive Officer. Read the full press release for more: https://lnkd.in/eh-zZjGf #AlaskaAirlines #Odysee #AviationInnovation #News #Announcement #MobilitySolutions #CustomerExperience #UPSummit #VCNews

📰 ☕ 📈 There’s been a lot of exciting announcements coming from this year’s UP.Summit. Need to catch up? Here’s your quick-fire recap of the biggest headlines from Tuesday and Wednesday in Bentonville: - Teleo makes strategic expansion to bring autonomous operations of heavy equipment to new industries beyond construction. - Hermeus breaks ground on hypersonic engine and flight test facility in Jacksonville, FL. - REGENT advances seaglider prototype development to meet growing global demand. - AeroVironment successfully flight tests new solar-powered aircraft, redefines stratospheric payload capabilities. - Serve Robotics and Wing partner to expand autonomous delivery, increasing reach and efficiency. - CesiumAstro unveils Element, the industry’s most efficient and flexible integrated phased array satellite. - Pivotal completes BlackFly eVTOL deliveries. - Venus Aerospace unveils groundbreaking Detonation Ramjet engine. - McKinsey & Company releases new research on outlook for future air mobility and commercial drone delivery. Two Special Announcements from UP.Labs: - J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. and UP.Labs unite to establish Logistics Venture Lab to fuel the next wave of innovation in logistics and freight. - Alaska Airlines and UP.Labs launch first of six startups: Odysee, a data-driven schedule optimization solution. It’s quite the news cycle when 300+ of the world’s most innovative minds gather to shape the future of mobility! #News #VentureCapital #Aviation #AerospaceNews #Technology #TechNews #VCNews

What an incredible UP.Summit Community Day at Thaden Field (VBT)! Innovation knows no age limit, and it was a great experience to connect with the 10,000+ people in attendance — people of all ages, from pilots, technology enthusiasts, and families to entrepreneurs and dreamers. Our dedication to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship extends well beyond the boardroom. This event is a testament to our ongoing mission to inspire the next generation of leaders and innovators. Hats off and a huge thank you to the City of Bentonville for their unwavering support and commitment to cultivating a vibrant environment where future generations can thrive. From autonomous vehicles to cutting-edge drones, space exploration technologies, a wonderful air show, the presentation of the UP.Summit Key to Mayor Stephanie Orman, and our model rocket world record, we couldn’t be happier with the UP.Summit Community Day. Check out this recap video from the event! https://lnkd.in/e84sHePK We’d like to express a huge “thank you” to the Bentonville Schools students who both helped build the model rockets and who were in attendance, as well as our partners and exhibitors who brought their technology to show off at Thaden Field: Wing, Pivotal, Hermeus, Boom Supersonic, Archer, JetZero, Electra.aero, Teleo, REGENT, Range Energy, Game Composites LLC, Gravity Industries, Boston Dynamics, Trousdale Ventures, Walmart, CesiumAstro, and many more. We shared insights, experiences, and a passion for pushing boundaries; we witnessed eagerness to shape the future of mobility and technology. The energy and enthusiasm left us truly inspired — and we’re confident that this community will be a driving force behind groundbreaking innovations in the days and years to come! #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #FutureLeaders #UPSummit #CommunityDay #AirShow #GuinnessWorldRecord #Bentonville #Arkansas