Epicore Biosystems announces it has been selected by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of Air Force, for an SBIR Phase II in the amount of $1.2M focused on its Connected Hydration wearable platform to address the personalized hydration management and recovery needs of personnel in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.

In June 2025, Epicore Biosystems began its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the US.

“This AFWERX collaboration enables Epicore to deploy our Connected Hydration platform in high-risk, mission-critical environments where human performance and thermoregulation are paramount,” says Stephen Lee, CTO and co-founder of Epicore Biosystems.

“Our product roadmap, which is rooted in smart wearables, hydration data analytics, and real-time haptic feedback and recovery, will now help support the evolving needs of airmen, guardians, and military medics operating under extreme conditions,” adds Lee.

“The AFWERX contract is a significant milestone in our mission to protect those operating in harsh environments, from industrial worksites to national defense operations,” notes Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO and co-founder of Epicore Biosystems. “This partnership with the DAF reinforces our commitment to real-time hydration and well-being management for operational readiness, resilience, and safety.”