Upskill

Upskill, Inc, is an augmented reality (AR) software maker based in Vienna, Virginia, with offices also in Austin, TX. It is best known for Skylight, the company's augmented reality software platform, which delivers AR experiences for industrial settings. Upskill was founded in 2010, initially focusing on applications of AR for government but fully pivoted to commercial applications by 2013. Today, Upskill’s customers range from aerospace and defense giants, industrial manufacturers, supply chain and logistics firms, and field service providers. For example, GE uses Skylight delivered via smart glasses to simplify engine maintenance, supply chain and warehousing processes, and wind turbine assembly. Coca-Cola technicians use Skylight on smart glasses to streamline maintenance and maximize uptime in their bottling plants. And, Boeing employs Skylight on smart glasses in its complex wiring harness assembly process, where it has cut production time by 25 percent and lowered error rates to zero. (Reference: https://www.pcmag.com/news/358437/upskill-is-the-coolest-ar-startup-you-havent-heard-of-yet)

History

In mid-2010, Battlefield Telecommunications Systems (BTS) was tasked as the government's software provider for biometric force predictions. To do this, the company turned to early developments of augmented reality to offer soldiers with real-time data displayed in their line of sight via headsets, whether the person in front of them was an enemy or not. At the time, Brian Ballard, a Field Operations Officer, and Jeff Jenkins saw an immediate opportunity that they believed could expand well beyond supporting soldiers in combat. Joined by another member of the BTS team, Chris Hoyt, the three founders spun out APX Labs (which was rebranded as Upskill at the start of 2017). In the beginning, APX was able to benefit from jumping right onto some government contracts. By 2013, the APX team saw the imminent opportunity in enterprise and fully divested its government practice to fully focus on applications of Skylight, its software platform, in industrial settings. The company is now recognized as one of the leading providers of AR solutions and supports applications on a number of different AR devices and headsets, including Glass Enterprise Edition, Vuzix M300, RealWear HMT-1, ODG R-7/HL, Epson Moverio BTS 350 smart glasses.

Funding History

Awards and Recognition

2018 Inc. Best Workplace (Upskill)
2018 Augmented World Expo "Best in Show - AR"(Skylight);
2018 CIO 100 (Applied Materials use of Skylight on Smart Glasses)
2018 Hermes Award Finalist (Skylight)
2018 Washington Post Best Places to Work (Upskill)
2017 Frost and Sullivan "Customer Value Leadership Award in North America" (Upskill)
2017 Timmy Awards "Best Tech Startup in DC" (Upskill)
2017 Best Workplace for Commuters (Upskill)
2017 Inc. Best WorkPlaces (Upskill)
2017 DCA "Trending 40: Red Hot Companies" (Upskill)
2017 Compass Intelligence "Augmented Reality Innovation Leadership Award" (Upskill)
2017 CNBC Disruptor 50 "Honorable Mention" (Upskill)
2016 DCInno DC Tech '50 on Fire' Finalist (APX Labs)
2016 GLOMO "Best Enterprise Mobile Application (KPN use of Skylight Solution)
2016 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer (APX Labs)
2016 Strategy Meets Action "Innovation in Action Award" (Pristine)
2016 IDC Innovator Award (Pristine)
2016 IDC Innovator Award (APX Labs)
2015 Frost and Sullivan "Application Convergence Award" (APX Labs)
2015 Washingtonian Magazine "Top 100 Tech Titan" (Brian Ballard)
2015 DCInno DC Tech '50 on Fire' Finalist (APX Labs)
2015 BisNow DC Tech 40 Under 40 (Brian Ballard)
2014 Washington's Top Entrepreneur 40 Under 40 (Brian Ballard)
2014 Gartner Cool Vendor (APX Labs)
2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist: Greater Washington (Brian Ballard)

References

Marvin, Rob. "Upskill Is the Coolest AR Startup You Haven't Heard of Yet", PC Magazine, 17 January 2017. Retrieved on 09 July 2018. Abraham, Magid and Marco Annunziata "Augmented Reality Is Already Improving Worker Performance", Harvard Business Review, 13 March 2017. Retrieved on 09 July 2018. Upskill.io "APX Labs Announces Corporate Name Change to Upskill", Upskill, 16 January 2017. Retrieved on 09 July 2018.

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