14bis Supply Tracking (SafeFlights Inc. /D/B/A/ 14bis Supply Tracking) was selected for the Techstars Autonomous Technology Accelerator with the U.S. Air Force. This is the first time that Techstars works with the U.S. Air Force to help identify high-potential companies providing government and commercial applications. The backing is part of a Department of Defense initiative to create more agile private sector opportunity identification and contracting.
During the accelerator program, 14bis Supply tracking will collaborate with AFWERX. Created in 2017 by the United States Secretary of the Air Force, AFWERX reports to the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. It facilitates “agile Air Force engagement across industry, academia, and non-traditional contributors to improve Air Force capabilities by connecting innovators, simplifying technology transfer, and accelerating results”. In addition, 14bis Supply Tracking will be meeting with over 100 different private sector companies and investors to accelerate the company’s potential.
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the accelerator program runs from January to April 2018, and focuses on commercially viable startups with dual-purpose technologies – a private sector application as well as government application. This includes two categories of companies. One with autonomous technology able to detect, track, identify, characterize, attribute or mitigate drone systems. The other includes, but is not limited to, sensor technology, high-performance computational hardware and software, computer vision and digital image processing, AI, multimodal sensor integration, secure communications, trusted identification, power systems, high-performance materials, integration systems, and human machine interface.
14bis Supply Tracking helps aerospace and defense supply chain managers reduce the risk of unapproved parts and eliminate the high admin costs caused by the current paper-based documentation practice by leveraging distributed ledger technology to provide transparency and immutable lifecycle provenance tracking. The patent-pending 14bis Supply Tracking system can adapt to any industry ERP platform and tagging mechanism: ensuring the interconnectivity of databases to track things.
14bis Supply Tracking’s technology protects against supply chain vulnerabilities by providing trustworthy asset tracking bridging the physical-digital gap that streamlines supply chain processes. We improve supply chains with exceptional tracking capabilities leveraging blockchain technology and our patent-pending system. The Seamless Solution for Supply Chains of Trust.
Unapproved and counterfeit parts are a safety issue and national security concern. Governments worldwide absorb the costs of increased enforcement and lost tax revenue associated with counterfeit parts in the supply chain. In industrial settings, the costs associated with mitigating risk, replacing failed counterfeits, and delays resulting in lost sales end up hurting the company and its brand. 14bis Supply Tracking bridges the physical-digital gap for parts tracking with its patentpending system that integrates into existing ERPs so companies don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
In a recent report by the Aerospace Industries Association, which counts among their members prestigious aerospace companies like BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation, the introduction of counterfeit parts is listed to affect all levels of the supply chain from government, to industry and consumers1 . These parts can be either electrical, mechanical or have other applications2.
Off to a running start, 14bis Supply Tracking was showcased as “SafeFlights Inc.” at the Paris Air Show 2017 and featured in articles in tier 1 French business magazine Challenges, aerospace industry MRO-Network.com and spoke at the 2017 European Women Payment Network Awards. 14bis Supply Security is a Starburst Accelerator company since 2017. 14bis Supply Tracking received an Accenture Innovate Award at WebSummit 2017 and was selected as a Finalist in Security and Privacy for SXSW 2018: 14bis Supply Tracking will pitch on March 11, 2018.
14bis Supply Tracking seeks to be the world’s most trusted aerospace parts integrity guarantor, ensuring safety for all flights.
For more information visit: https://14bis.aero/
1 "Counterfeit Parts - Increasing Awareness and Developing Countermeasures". Aerospace Industries Association. March 2011. http://www.aia-aerospace.org/report/counterfeit-parts-increasing-awareness-and-developingcountermeasures/
2 The 2017 US Office of the Inspector General Audit Report notes that the ineffectiveness of FAA processes regarding suspected unapproved parts.
