Okaya Wins an AFWERX Phase II Contract with the U.S. Air Force
In short
The U.S. Air Force, through AFWERX, awarded Okaya a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract to test its readiness check-in in pre-flight and post-flight activities for aircrew. Okaya completed Phase II with an active U.S. Air Force flying unit, and any federal agency can now award an SBIR Phase III sole-source order.
BOULDER, CO, June 2025. AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force (DAF), selected Okaya for a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. Okaya's readiness check-in will be tested in pre-flight and post-flight activities, as part of operational risk management for aircrew. Okaya received the award under its legal name, SmartTec Inc.
What did the Air Force award Okaya?
The DAF, through AFWERX, awarded Okaya a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract. The contract focuses on making flight operations more robust, accurate and timely, and on helping aircrew lower both risk to force and risk to mission.
AFWERX runs the DAF's SBIR and STTR programs together with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
What will the Air Force test?
The Air Force will test Okaya's check-in before and after flights. It is a short, private check-in on a standard phone or laptop. You talk with Sanora for about 3 minutes, and it compares how you sound, what you say and how your expression moves today with your own earlier check-ins. The video never leaves the device. Okaya uses points from your face, not a video of you. Okaya never identifies who you are from your face. There is no facial recognition.
Okaya's goal is to make a readiness check as routine as an equipment check, and to remove the stigma of asking for help.
What did Okaya's CEO say?
Okaya's CEO said, "We are excited to be working with the DAF and AFWERX. We believe that our technology will contribute to the transformation of how readiness is viewed in the armed forces. Readiness insights can yield a new position of strength, ultimately improving performance and mission outcomes."
"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."
Key points
- AFWERX awarded Okaya (SmartTec Inc.) a Direct-to-Phase II SBIR contract with the U.S. Air Force, contract FA864924P0008.
- The contract tested Okaya's readiness check-in in pre-flight and post-flight activities for aircrew.
- Okaya completed Phase II with an active U.S. Air Force flying unit.
- Any federal agency can award an SBIR Phase III sole-source order under 15 U.S.C. 638(r).
Update (October 2026)
Okaya completed SBIR Phase II, contract FA864924P0008, with an active U.S. Air Force flying unit. The readiness check-in became part of the unit's pre-flight risk management. Okaya delivered nine milestones, and the contract is complete.
Any federal agency can now award Okaya an SBIR Phase III sole-source order under 15 U.S.C. 638(r), building on Phase II contract FA864924P0008. Individual results stay private to the individual. Leadership sees anonymized, aggregated unit-level readiness only.