A Decade of Innovation and Impact: Celebrating 10 Years of Vita Inclinata
n September 15, 2025, Vita Inclinata celebrates its 10th anniversary, a milestone that marks more than just a decade in business. It is the story of how a single challenge set in motion a journey that would transform the future of rescue and construction safety around the world.
The spark began in 2009, when founder Caleb Carr witnessed the limits of helicopter hoist technology during a rescue attempt that claimed the life of his friend Don. For years, he carried that memory with him, believing that the best way to make a difference was through medicine. But in 2012, as an undergraduate at the University of Colorado–Denver, his trajectory changed. When Caleb shared the story with his physics professor, Dr. Randall Tagg, Tagg responded with a blunt but pivotal challenge: “Well, why the hell don’t you fix it?”
That question became the turning point. Instead of pursuing medical school, Caleb shifted his focus, determined to tackle the problem at its source. With Tagg’s mentorship and expertise, and the support of a team of fellow student innovators, Caleb began developing stabilization technology that could counteract the unpredictable forces of suspended loads. What started as a professor’s challenge quickly evolved into a mission that, just a few years later, would give rise to Vita Inclinata.
Reflecting on that moment today, Caleb Carr, Founder and CEO of Vita Inclinata, shared: “Vita was never just about building products; it was about honoring a promise. Every time we deploy a system that helps save a life, I’m reminded of why we started. Ten years later, that mission is stronger than ever.”
That mission took form in 2015, when Vita Inclinata was officially founded in Broomfield, Colorado. From the beginning, the company stood apart by combining intelligent technology with comprehensive training, creating not just products, but a safety ecosystem. What started as an idea born from a tragedy became a growing enterprise dedicated to saving lives across industries.
Vita’s first breakthrough, the Vita Rescue System, redefined helicopter hoist operations by eliminating the dangerous swing and spin of suspended loads. With this innovation, rescue crews gained new precision and confidence in missions where seconds often mean the difference between life and death. Not long after, the company introduced the Vita Load Navigator, expanding its stabilization technology into industrial applications and construction sites. With this leap, Vita bridged the gap between aerospace and industrial markets, applying lifesaving principles to industries where heavy lifts and unpredictable conditions put workers at risk every day.
As demand for its technology grew, Vita scaled rapidly. In January 2022, the company opened a 13,000-square-foot production facility in Broomfield, a clear signal of its growth from a startup into a serious manufacturing and innovation leader. Just a year earlier, Vita had already been recognized nationally, receiving the SBIR Tibbetts Award in 2021 for its remarkable trajectory from a small, dedicated team to a company with real-world impact.
The milestones only accelerated. By April 2024, Vita proudly celebrated the deployment of its 100th unit across both rescue and industrial markets and closed a $44 million financing round to expand operations, strengthen production, and accelerate its impact worldwide. In April 2024, that growth translated directly into action as 16 Vita Rescue Systems were deployed to CAL FIRE, enabling Firehawk crews to conduct complex aerial rescues with unparalleled safety and stability.
Perhaps most significantly, 2025 marked a year of strong collaboration with the National Guard. Several Guard units, including Alaska, Oregon, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, adopted the Vita Rescue System into their mission sets. Crews from these units not only integrated the technology into their operations, but also received direct training from Vita’s team to ensure they could execute with the highest level of skill and safety. Their adoption of the VRS demonstrates the trust and confidence frontline operators place in Vita’s technology when lives are on the line.
Looking back on the company’s growth, Derek Sikora, Vita’s Co-Founder and CTO, noted: “From the beginning, we believed bolstering man-machine teaming could offer a step function of utility to the helicopter and industrial lifting markets. To see our solutions deployed around the world by firefighters, soldiers, is immensely rewarding. Though, our work has just begun.”
Today, on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Vita Inclinata stands as more than just a company. It is a testament to what can be achieved when innovation is guided by purpose. From its headquarters in Colorado to operations in Washington D.C., the UK, the UAE, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, Vita has grown into a global presence. Its technology has been shaped by the dedication of engineers, trainers, and rescue professionals, but it has also been shaped by the memory of a man whose life was cut short and the vow that no one else should face the same fate.
As Caleb Carr reflects on the road ahead, he adds: “Ten years is a milestone, but it’s also a reminder of how much work there is still to do. Our mission is far from finished. We’ll keep innovating, keep pushing boundaries, and keep building systems that make sure people come home.”
As Vita looks toward the next decade, the mission remains the same but the vision has grown broader. Research and development continue to push boundaries, partnerships expand across industries, and every milestone circles back to the same commitment: bringing people home, every time.
Ten years is only the beginning. Vita Inclinata’s story is as much about innovation as it is about people, purpose, and the belief that technology can save lives. And as the company celebrates this anniversary, it does so with gratitude to its partners, customers, and teams around the world who have made this journey possible.