AXO Track

Based in Berlin, Germany, AXO Track GmbH is a specialized provider of predictive maintenance solutions tailored for the railway industry. The company was established in 2021, with some sources indicating a founding year of 2022, by a team including CEO Oliver von Sperber, CCO Dr. Wolfgang Merz, and CTO Uwe Hübler. Von Sperber's background combines experience as a founder of a mid-market investment bank and a sensor technology firm, providing him with knowledge in IoT solutions across various sectors, including rail. This venture was launched in collaboration with Next Big Thing AG (NBT) to advance predictive maintenance systems for railway infrastructure.

AXO Track targets rail infrastructure operators by offering technology that reduces costs, enhances safety, and boosts productivity. The company addresses the challenges of aging infrastructure and increased demand from higher speeds, greater axle loads, and shorter train intervals. Its business model centers on providing IoT-based systems that monitor the condition of critical components, such as railway switches, in real-time. These switches are identified as a significant source of train delays globally. Revenue is generated through the sale and integration of these monitoring systems.

The core of AXO Track's offering is an AI-supported, IoT-based solution that retrofits onto existing railway infrastructure. This system provides real-time data on the status and condition of assets, allowing maintenance teams to be dispatched based on actual need rather than traditional schedules. The technology is designed for quick installation and seamless integration with the existing IT systems of rail companies. By enabling early detection of weak points and potential failures, the solution helps to improve the availability of rail networks, extend the service life of facilities, and make maintenance processes more efficient. In 2024, the company secured a research contract from the German Federal Railway Authority for data-based switch maintenance and has since started pilot projects in Europe and the USA.

Keywords: predictive maintenance, railway infrastructure, IoT solutions, rail technology, real-time monitoring, asset management, rail safety, condition monitoring, infrastructure maintenance, sensor technology, AI-supported maintenance, switch monitoring, railway operations, data-driven maintenance, train delay reduction, rail network efficiency, asset lifecycle extension, Next Big Thing AG, Oliver von Sperber