Epicore Biosystems Secures $1.2M AFWERX Phase II Contract to Enhance Military Hydration Readiness
Award will help accelerate deployment of Epicore's Connected Hydration® platform to support Air Force operations and training
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicore Biosystems (Epicore) 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 Hydration1 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. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded. Last month, in June 2025, Epicore Biosystems began its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"This AFWERX collaboration enables Epicore to deploy our Connected Hydration platform in high-risk, mission-critical environments where human performance and thermoregulation are paramount," said 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."
"The AFWERX contract is a significant milestone in our mission to protect those operating in harsh environments, from industrial worksites to national defense operations," said 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. We're honored to deploy Epicore's latest in smart wearable technology to support our military personnel."
"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 Defense, or the U.S. government."
About Epicore Biosystems
Epicore Biosystems is a digital health company spun out of Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the John Rogers Laboratory. Epicore has developed advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time personalized health insights. Their clinically validated smart wearable solutions and cloud analytics are deployed globally and licensed by leading Fortune 500 companies and the Department of Defense. To learn more, visit: https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/. Follow Epicore on LinkedIn.
1 https://www.epicorebiosystems.com/our-solutions/connected-hydration
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
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SOURCE Epicore Biosystems, Inc.