Alaska Airlines and UP.Labs launch Odysee, an AI-enabled startup taking a new approach to schedule optimization

One year after announcing their partnership to solve business challenges through innovation, Alaska Airlines and UP.Labs, have officially announced their first new startup, Odysee, at the UP.Summit. Odysee, which launched with $5M in seed funding led by UP.Partners, is focused on lending powerful AI and computing power to inform real-time tradeoff decisions in planning for and managing operational logistics, starting with scheduling. The platform will ensure the best use of each aircraft asset and the interconnections between them, empowering teams to more effectively optimize one of the most complex areas of an airline's business.

This AI-powered flight schedule optimization solution marks a significant milestone in the journey that began at last year's UP.Summit. Last year, the two companies announced their partnership and set a vision to solve core strategic challenges for the aviation industry with new companies that help unlock the future in transportation and mobility.

"What sets Odysee apart is its ability to help airline schedulers assess the various tradeoffs that come with certain schedule changes, allowing them to make more informed choices in building comprehensive flight schedules," says Odysee Chief Executive Officer, Steve Casley. "Our team is excited about the power and efficiency this technology will provide to Alaska Airlines and all future customers and the opportunity to continue building out its functionality."

Odysee utilizes an operations research-led approach to build flight schedules and rapidly quantify the impacts of schedule changes on revenue, profitability and reliability. The platform can run hundreds of simulations within seconds to provide accurate flight-level insights to stress-test a future schedule. This tool can assess more options and evaluate more variables than the human brain – giving teams the opportunity to make more informed decisions.

"As CEO and a former COO, I know that configuring an airline to use each airplane optimally is a key lever for operational reliability, a remarkable travel experience for our guests, and maximizing revenue," said Alaska Airlines Chief Executive Officer Ben Minicucci. "I am thrilled that Odysee, the first company launched through our partnership with UP.Labs, leverages artificial intelligence to help our teams put our airplanes in the right place, at the right time."

The partnership between UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines was established as part of Alaska Star Ventures, Alaska Airlines' investment arm and is aligned with Alaska's commitment to innovation and sustainability. Over the next three years, the partnership will launch additional startups focused on solving key challenges in aviation and mobility.

UP.Labs is a venture lab and a core part of the UP.Partners ecosystem, which also includes mobility investment fund UP.Ventures and the UP.Summit, an invite-only mobility event that brings together 300 of the world's most innovative minds rethinking the future of transportation.

"The launch of Odysee marks an exciting milestone, uniting the strengths of UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines to create a startup that revolutionizes how flight schedules are built, analyzed and optimized," says John Kuolt, Founder and CEO of UP.Labs. "By combining our expertise and shared vision, we're paving the way for new opportunities, driving growth, and setting a new standard in our industry."