Automotive AI platform, Axion, enters aerospace and defense with government and corporate support

Published 07/03/2022
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Axion’s mission is to create the world’s best automotive and aerospace engineering management analytics platform, powered by machine learning and natural language processing. Its proactive management system accelerates development lifecycles and helps OEMs move faster and innovate efficiently. Since its founding at the onset of 2021, Axion has deployed across some of the largest OEMs in the world. Now, the US-based startup is attracting top domestic and international adoption to accelerate engineering innovation.
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  • Axion, a decision intelligence platform, helps Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Tier 1 suppliers accelerate the development of vehicles by leveraging its proprietary predictive and natural language processing algorithms.
  • Selected as part of Boeing’s Aerospace Xelerated program, Axion also receives investment from Boeing.
  • Axion, which enables more efficient vehicle development by proactively managing risks before they arise, was awarded an SBIR contract to engage the U.S. Air Force to innovate with the technology applications.


Axion, a decision intelligence platform for engineering leaders that leverages proprietary predictive and natural language processing algorithms, is attracting global interest. The international race towards rapid engineering development and electrification has enabled a space for large OEMs to utilize next-gen technologies like Axion. With the growing interest in its technology, the automotive engineering AI startup is branching to aerospace and defense with corporate and government support. 


Announced last month, Axion was selected for the Aerospace Xelerated program, led by Boeing, in which Axion receives investment from the world's largest aerospace company. Axion will also access support from the program’s industry partners, including GKN Aerospace and the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). 


In addition to corporate support, Axion caught the eye of government and defense. Axion was awarded a U.S. Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract earlier this year. Axion is currently working with USAF leaders to develop and pilot the applications of its groundbreaking technology.


Daniel First, co-founder and CEO of Axion, says, “As the international community races towards electrification and the development of other next-gen vehicles, our mission is to bring the best of AI and NLP to help leaders find the signal in the noise, to bring agility and alignment to their teams. We're proud of the impact that Axion's technology has already had for the chief engineers and program managers we partner with.”


The aerospace and defense sectors support initiatives to incorporate the latest technology into their strategies to inspire innovation. Axion's artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) help companies mine engineering operations data to help program managers focus on what matters most.


Through its contract with SBIR, Axion will aid the U.S. Air Force in its transition to agile and accelerated capabilities essential to national security via digital engineering. The startup has already identified initial air force users and structured the second phase of this engagement. The award money will further advance Axion’s technology to continue helping engineering leaders develop faster and enhance quality. 


Axion co-founder, Rebecca Trachtenberg, added, "The mobility sector is undergoing massive transformations towards AV, EV, net-zero, and ADAS sophistication. It's exciting to collaborate with progressive engineers who are leading the revolution in vehicle development by leveraging their data to improve their accuracy and speed. We’re happy that Axion is a part of the story." 



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About Axion

Axion’s mission is to create the world’s best automotive and aerospace engineering management analytics platform, powered by machine learning and natural language processing. Its proactive management system accelerates development lifecycles and helps OEMs move faster and innovate efficiently. By partnering with program leaders across automotive and aerospace to deploy machine learning models, Axion is revolutionizing the way next-gen vehicles are made and accelerating our speed to vehicles of the future. Since its founding at the onset of 2021, Axion has deployed across some of the largest OEMs in the world. 


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


About Aerospace Xelerated

Formerly known as the ATI Boeing Accelerator, Aerospace Xelerated is a three-month funded program for exceptional autonomy and AI startups striving to advance the future of aerospace. The accelerator program is designed to support the growth of startups in both the UK and global aerospace ecosystems. By supporting these innovative early-stage technology businesses, the program aims to bolster the growth and competitiveness of the aerospace industry.


About AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program

AFRL and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research process to speed up the experience, broaden the pool of potential applicants and decrease bureaucratic overhead. Beginning in SBIR 18.2 and now in 21.2, the Air Force has begun offering 'Special' SBIR topics that are faster, leaner, and open to a broader range of innovations.


About Axion co-founders

Daniel First is the CEO of Axion. He teaches Enterprise AI Strategy at Columbia Graduate School of Business, where his research focuses on enterprise applications of artificial intelligence in automotive and aerospace. He completed his undergraduate studies in cognitive science and neuroscience at Yale University and holds graduate degrees from the University of Cambridge and Columbia University. 


Rebecca Trachtenberg is co-founder and Head of Growth at Axion. She is a passionate digital transformation and growth specialist, supporting business leaders to digitally evolve their processes, enabling efficiency, growth, and innovation. She has successfully led digital transformation initiatives with the world's largest automotive and aerospace OEMs and suppliers. Her holistic approach provides an engaged and user-centric experience, inspiring productivity through technology-aided design and data-driven optimization. 


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About The Author

PR & Prose specializes in communications for tech startups and the wider ecosystem that supports them. Its founder, Lauren Gilmore, is an award-winning digital communications strategist with expertise in brand management, digital marketing, and public relations. Prior to founding PR & Prose, Lauren was Commissioning Editor for The Next Web where she led multiple user-centric initiatives for clients including ABN AMRO, Philips, Netflix, and Adobe.

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