Ridgeline Founder Stories: Paul Fowler of MesoMat Drives Safety and Sustainability in Fleet Management Through Innovative Tire Intelligence

In the vast landscape of modern transportation, an often overlooked yet critical challenge persists—tire-related issues in commercial vehicle fleets. As the second-highest operational cost following fuel, tire expenses weigh heavily on the efficiency and safety of trucking operations. 

Paul Fowler, co-founder and CEO of Ridgeline-backed company MesoMat, identified this pervasive problem and set out to transform the industry through tire intelligence. By introducing innovative technology into the equation, Fowler not only addresses the immediate concerns of fuel consumption and tire wear but also charts a course towards a connected future where tires become digital assets—offering real-time insights that enhance safety, reduce costs, and usher in a new era of sustainability in transportation. 

We asked Paul a few questions about his inspiration, challenges, and predictions for the future of transportation as he works to reshape the landscape of fleet management.

Can you share the inspiration behind founding MesoMat and how your personal journey led you to the tire intelligence industry?

PF: Using my background in physics, I developed core intellectual property focused on sensing in soft materials like rubbers and plastics. My colleagues and I had first applied this technology successfully in aerospace, construction, and fire protection. During this exploration, we delved into the trucking industry, particularly the lack of widespread adoption of tire intelligence systems. My extensive conversations with fleet owners and visits to maintenance garages led to a pivotal realization: simplicity is key.

This realization became a cornerstone of MesoMat's philosophy—developing a tire intelligence system that is user-friendly, easy to install, and readily understandable. While the idea of transmitting tire data to the cloud may seem straightforward, the challenge lies in seamless integration and creating positive user experiences. Our success in getting fleets to adopt our technology is as much about user-friendly experiences as it is about our advanced technology.

On a personal note, my passion for groundbreaking products enabled by technology dates back to my early days at Validere, a YCombinator-backed startup in the oil and gas industry. There, I honed my skills in integrating technical innovation into product development, understanding the foundation of successful startups. This experience motivated me to establish MesoMat, and reaching a point where customers express their love for our product is immensely fulfilling.

What challenges did you identify in the fleet management sector that drove you to create a solution like MesoMat, and how do you envision it transforming the industry?

PF: Trucking is a tech-underdeveloped sector. At its core, MesoMat targets the two major expenses for fleets—fuel and tires. Recognizing the pivotal role of tires, our technology taps into unique road-related data, offering insights inaccessible through conventional means.

Beyond immediate benefits, MesoMat aligns with a broader industry shift towards digitized tires. Currently, the vast majority of the 335 million commercial vehicles and six billion commercial tires globally lack digitization. Over the next decade, the tire is poised to evolve into a connected device. In the context of class 8 vehicles (semi-trucks), vital for reducing carbon emissions, MesoMat's role becomes crucial. Frankly, as a species we must figure out ways to reduce the amount of fuel and carbon required to transport goods. Tires remain an incredibly easy target: 20% of vehicle carbon emissions directly depend on tire function. The potential carbon savings from simply ensuring tires are properly managed is staggering. 

The potential impact is significant; improper tire use leads to two billion gallons of wasted fuel and 57.5 billion pounds of excess carbon emissions annually in the US alone. MesoMat emerges as a key solution, contributing to substantial carbon savings by ensuring proper tire management. Deployments of our technology reveal tangible benefits for fleets—fuel savings, carbon reduction, and extended tire lifespan—an unequivocal win for both businesses and the planet.

Considering the prevalence of tire-related vehicle failures, how does MesoMat address the critical issue of safety in fleets, and what impact do you foresee it having on preventing accidents and improving road safety?

PF: Tire-related vehicle failures are more common than many realize, causing 10% of all accidents. In the U.S. alone, this translates to 220 million flat tires, over 200 million punctures, 70,000 accidents, and 600 fatalities due to blowouts each year. 

MesoMat's tire management platform, integrating sensors with cloud-based software, addresses these challenges. Working with fleets experiencing frequent blowouts, our solution not only reduces costs but also enhances safety. With a straightforward revenue model encompassing both hardware and software components, MesoMat not only attracts customers seeking cost reduction but also plays a direct role in improving road safety for everyone on the road.

What are your predictions for the future of transportation?

PF: In the next 10 years, I'm confident that tire intelligence systems will become standard for vehicle fleets. MesoMat envisions a future where data is transformed into actionable insights, aligning with our product philosophy to deliver precise, relevant information to fleet operators. For instance: “Inflating the front left steer tire on vehicle 4528 by an additional 10 PSI could save $508 in fuel costs over the next month, based on the vehicle's travel history.”

The increasing adoption of such technologies in trucking and logistics, driven by the substantial impact on tire-related expenses, paves the way for the digitized tire concept to extend to personal vehicles. As tire intelligence evolves, drivers can expect more meaningful insights—beyond just a low-pressure light—to guide maintenance decisions. Imagine your vehicle advising you to rotate tires based on your driving history, making information not just available but truly useful.

Looking ahead, what are your goals for MesoMat in the coming years, and how do you plan to further innovate and stay ahead in the competitive landscape of tire intelligence solutions?

PF: We're just getting started at MesoMat. On the product side, we're equally obsessed with adding new features and continuing to make our product easier to use with a focus on removing human interaction wherever possible. We're about to launch the next version of our hardware which collects new types of tire data, is able to detect more tire-related anomalies and will help to strengthen our modeling and insights platform.

Beyond this, we have big goals for MesoMat. We're in the process of building one of the most interesting datasets that exists on tires. With this, we believe we can become the single trusted platform used throughout the tire value chain to make all tire related decisions, including which tires to buy, which tires to install on different vehicles, and how to use tires based on climate, load, and vehicle routes.

Learn more about MesoMat at mesomat.com. Stay up-to-date with the latest news on Ridgeline’s portfolio by subscribing to our monthly newsletter!