Bridgestone buys share of treadwear tech startup

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Bridgestone Corp. has bought an undisclosed share of Tyrata Inc., a Durham, N.C.-based company that's developed tire-sensor and data-management technology that monitors, tracks and predicts tire treadwear through drive-over sensing.

Bridgestone said this strategic investment accelerates its efforts to deploy advanced mobility solutions that improve fleet safety, efficiency and sustainability.

Tyrata, a start-up founded in 2018 to commercialize sensor technology developed at Duke University, went public in late 2020 with its development of the IntelliTread Drive-Over System (DOS) and Internal Tread Sensor (ITS) product lines after raising $2.9 million in funding.

The IntelliTread DOS collects tire-wear data when a vehicle drives over a speed-bump-like unit, which is linked to cloud-based data analytics. The system is designed to alert service and depot managers to the tire's tread condition in real time.

The partnership will enable Bridgestone to offer more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective tire management practices for fleets, including last- and middle-mile delivery fleets, the company said. It is the latest in a series of investments aimed at strengthening Bridgestone's portfolio of integrated solutions focused on sustainable mobility.

"With Tyrata's unique technology, more fleets will have the opportunity to optimize their tire programs, enhancing safety and reducing environmental footprint," Brian Goldstine, president of mobility solutions, Bridgestone Americas, said.

"Our partnership with Tyrata will allow us to strengthen and expand our portfolio of tire management solutions to fleets of all sizes as we work toward a safer, more efficient and more sustainable mobility future."

Tyrata IntelliTread technology replaces manual yard-checks with an easy-to-install drive-over system that features weather- and dirt-resistant sensors for more consistent and accurate tire tread depth measurements, Bridgestone said.

The system also has the ability to detect irregular wear patterns for fleets to optimize the life of each tire ultimately lowering operating costs and ensuring safer operations.

Bridgestone said it will be able to leverage data and insights provided by the IntelliTread Tyrata.io platform to help fleets maximize the service life of their tire assets, reduce tire-related downtime and promote sustainable tire performance best practices.

"The Bridgestone investment represents a very significant milestone in the validation of Tyrata's technology and business model," Tyrata CEO Jesko von Windheim said.

"We are thrilled to be working with the Bridgestone team and to now have access to one of the largest fleet channels in the world."

The Tyrata technology will complement Bridgestone's existing portfolio of tire and fleet management solutions, including:

• IntelliTire, a commercial truck tire pressure monitoring system;
• REACH, a cloud-connected platform that effectively manages fleet service events; and
• Azuga Holdings, a fleet management software system featuring GPS tracking, video telematics and driver behavior management.