Air Force Enlists BILT App to Upgrade Readiness: Tech Innovator Wins $1.7M to Bring Training & Maintenance into the 21st Century

GRAPEVINE, TX, July 21, 2022 – The United States Air Force wants the same 3D technology Weber provides customers for help assembling their grills. But instead of barbecuing steaks, airmen will learn to do their jobs faster. AFVentures/AFWERX is awarding BILT Incorporated a $1.7M Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) to extend their investment in 3D Intelligent Instructions®. The innovation will increase readiness by improving efficiency and reducing errors. A TACFI allows Air Force leadership to accelerate strategic investment in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) companies that generate the most demand across the force. Interactive digital work instructions are gaining traction with end users like maintainers and technicians; with thousands of commercial products on BILT, the number of military members exposed to the app’s capability is increasing. One airman used BILT to install a ceiling fan and immediately recognized the impact it could have on military maintenance. “Innovation is critical to mission readiness,” says BILT President & COO Ahmed Qureshi. He says BILT will work closely with Air Force leaders to continue testing the 3D solution in order to maximize user progress and competency. BILT’s portal allows operations analysts to gather data on performance as well as user feedback. New recruits may not come as mechanically proficient as past generations, he says, “but their sweet spot is tech. They can teach themselves anything with the right tools…but those tools are not technical manuals.” BILT recently completed work on an Air Force SBIR Phase II contract. One of the primary TACFI requirements is to secure investment from the private sector. Silverton Partners, an Austin-based venture capital firm, invested in BILT last year, providing the matching funds. “There’s a valley of death between SBIR Phases II and III,” says Silverton Principal Matthew Saitta. “But we’re going to bridge that gap, because our service members deserve BILT.”