Stockholm, Sweden – October 2025 – Flox, a wildlife intelligence company pioneering AI-powered solutions for human-wildlife coexistence, has been selected once again for the FLITE program at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR).
Run in partnership with Avflight Grand Rapids Corporation, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Southwest Airlines, and Seamless Ventures, the FLITE program provides funding and pilot opportunities for breakthrough aviation technologies. This year marks Flox’s second consecutive selection, highlighting growing confidence in its approach to making air travel safer for both people and wildlife.
Intelligent Wildlife Management for Safer Skies
Over the coming months, Flox will pilot its Flox Edge and Flox Platform at GRR – combining AI-powered species recognition, adaptive bioacoustics, and real-time data to detect and deter wildlife before they pose a risk. The pilot will demonstrate how airports can adopt intelligent, non-lethal tools to reduce wildlife strikes, improve safety, and protect local ecosystems.
“Being selected again for the FLITE program is an incredible recognition of how far we’ve come,” said Sara Nozkova, CEO & Co-founder at Flox. “Our mission is to create safer skies through intelligence and empathy – proving that airports can operate more efficiently while protecting wildlife.”
Wildlife strikes cost the global aviation industry more than $1.2 billion annually, according to the FAA, and threaten both safety and biodiversity. Traditional deterrence tools often rely on reactive or harmful measures. Flox’s technology instead provides a predictive, non-lethal, and data-driven approach that learns from each encounter, improving over time.
Building on Momentum
The new pilot at Ford International Airport builds on the success of Flox’s 2024 participation in the FLITE program – where its system demonstrated the potential to automate parts of wildlife hazard management, integrating seamlessly with airport operations.
The FLITE program, which recently received the 2024 Best Small and Emerging Airport Innovation Award from Airports Council International World and Amadeus, supports startups driving innovation in aviation safety, automation, and sustainability. This year’s five selected companies – including Flox – will receive more than $150,000 in total grant funding to pilot and validate their solutions at Ford International Airport.
About Flox
Flox is a wildlife intelligence company pioneering ethical, data-driven solutions that help humans and wildlife coexist. Combining AI, acoustics, and behavioral science, its flagship product, Flox Edge, detects, identifies, and gently deters wildlife in real time – preventing collisions before they happen. Flox operates globally, with deployments across aviation, agriculture, and transportation.
About the FLITE Program
The Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE) is a first-of-its-kind program hosted by the Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority, fostering aviation innovation through pilot testing and partnerships. The program has awarded over $1 million in grants to more than 35 projects advancing mobility, safety, and sustainability in air travel.
