BigBear.ai Partners with Maqta Technologies to Transform Port Operations
Feb. 24, 2026 at 4:03 PM ET - BigBear.ai Inc. [NYSE: BBAI] is trading up 5.12% on positive sentiment tied to a new partnership with Maqta Technologies. For operations leaders, the signal is clear: AI is moving from concept to live infrastructure across ports and customs.
Why this partnership matters for operations
The collaboration targets AI systems for advanced port and customs workflows. Expect focus areas like customs risk screening, berth and yard optimization, and end-to-end visibility from vessel ETA to gate-out.
The stated goal is to reshape customs operations at scale. That could mean faster clearance, fewer false positives, and better throughput without adding headcount or hardware.
- Customs risk engines: Fuse manifests, historical trade data, and AIS to prioritize inspections with higher hit rates.
- Predictive planning: Berth scheduling, crane assignment, and yard allocation that adapts to weather, labor, and congestion.
- Gate orchestration: Slotting and appointment systems that cut truck turn times and demurrage.
- Anomaly detection: Early flags on cargo integrity and security events.
Live update
At 16:01:53 EST: On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, BigBear.ai Inc. stock is up 5.12%. Markets are reacting to the Maqta Technologies alliance and expectations heading into the early March earnings call.
Quick financial overview
Revenue stands at $158.2M. Profitability is strained, with EBIT margin at negative 281.3%, highlighting operational inefficiencies that need resolution.
Cash increased by $65.63M, signaling stronger liquidity despite ongoing losses. Watch how management plans to translate new contracts and partnerships into margin improvement.
Competitive context and risks
Recent acquisitions, including CargoSeer technologies, suggest a push into trade risk tracking and national security use cases. That positions BigBear.ai in a crowded field with established AI and customs technology vendors.
- Potential vendor lock-in with proprietary stacks and data formats.
- Model drift across seasons, commodity cycles, and trade-policy shifts.
- Data-sharing agreements with customs authorities and cross-border compliance.
- Cyber exposure across OT/IT, plus third-party risk.
- Change management for planners, crane ops, and gate teams.
What operations leaders should do now
- Pick 3-5 priority use cases: e.g., customs risk scoring, berth plan accuracy, truck turn time. Define clear owners and success thresholds.
- Run a 90-day pilot: Start with one terminal or lane. Use A/B comparisons to prove lift versus legacy processes.
- Data readiness: Clean EDI/PCS feeds, TOS integration, AIS/telematics, and SKU/hazard codes. Establish a shared data catalog.
- Governance: Human-in-the-loop for inspections, escalation paths for false positives, and clear audit trails.
- Vendor diligence: TCO, uptime SLAs, latency at the edge, and support for on-prem/sovereign deployments.
- Security and compliance: Map controls to ISO 27001/SOC 2 and align with the WCO SAFE Framework.
- Interoperability: Confirm open APIs with your TOS, gate, OCR, WMS, and finance systems.
- Upskill teams: Train supervisors, planners, and analysts to use AI-driven recommendations and override rules with confidence. See AI for Operations for methods and playbooks.
KPIs to track
- Vessel turnaround time and berth utilization.
- Crane productivity (moves per hour) and equipment OEE.
- Yard dwell time and stack density by block.
- Gate truck turn time and appointment adherence.
- ETA accuracy (MAPE) from anchorage to berth.
- Customs clearance time, inspection hit rate, and false-positive rate.
- Detention/demurrage per TEU and rehandle ratio.
- Security incident rate and near-miss reporting.
Market reactions and what to watch next
Traders expect volatility as new details emerge and the earnings call approaches on March 2, 2026. If guidance confirms traction in defense and security, sentiment could strengthen despite weak historical margins.
Operational leaders should track deployment milestones with Maqta Technologies, data-sharing agreements with authorities, and any reference customer going live. Set your 2026 procurement gates now-proof of KPI lift, integration depth, and unit economics-so you're ready to move when the results justify it.
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