Phase I SBIR will accelerate AI-enabled sustainment to strengthen combat power projection in contested environments.
ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rune Technologies has been selected by AFWERX for a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to advance AI-enabled logistics command and control for Agile Combat Employment operations. The effort applies Rune’s TyrOS platform to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX partnered to streamline the SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process through faster proposal-to-award timelines, broader access for small businesses, and reduced bureaucratic overhead. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, expanding the range of innovations it funds, and now Rune Technologies will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“Our mission has always been to modernize military sustainment through software and artificial intelligence,” said David Tuttle, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rune Technologies. “This award allows us to bring that mission to the U.S. Air Force by developing capabilities that help commanders anticipate logistics demands, synchronize resources, and project combat power across distributed operations. We’re honored by the opportunity and look forward to working alongside Air Force operators to advance the future of Agile Combat Employment.”
This effort is sponsored by AFWERX, a component of the Air Force Research Laboratory. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.
About Rune Technologies:
Rune Technologies is revolutionizing military logistics through AI-enabled predictive software that operates in contested environments where communications are denied or degraded. Rune's TyrOS platform transforms manual logistics processes into intelligent supply webs that anticipate needs, optimize resources, and enable distributed operations at machine speed—even when supply lines are targeted by near-peer adversaries. Founded by veterans with deep operational experience and Silicon Valley engineering talent, Rune is ensuring military effectiveness through precise execution of critical logistics operations. For more information, visit runetech.co.
About AFRL:
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. AFRL leads the discovery, development and delivery of technologies for air, space and the multidomain. With a workforce spanning seven mission areas at more than 40 locations worldwide, AFRL conducts research ranging from basic science to advanced technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX:
As the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and a division within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings American ingenuity from small businesses and startups to solve the most pressing challenges facing Airmen and Guardians. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX strengthens the defense industrial base by expanding access to nontraditional vendors, building new defense partnerships and accelerating the transition of critical technologies to operational capability. In fiscal year 2025, AFWERX awarded more than 1,000 contracts totaling $1.37 billion and achieved 438 Phase III transitions valued at $8.1 billion, supercharging the industrial base that supports U.S. military readiness and battlefield advantage. For more information, visit afwerx.com.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Sam Polstein
(646) 337-1472
rune@deeptech.agency
