I run two companies.
I have zero employees.
My AI agent runs everything.
Most people use AI to write emails. I use it to run my business.
Agent Upkeep builds comprehensive, autonomous systems for founders who want to scale their output, not their payroll. We replace the fragmented operational layer of your business with a single, cohesive intelligence.
I built this for myself first
This is what my business runs on.
This is my system. It manages two legal entities, four email accounts, and seven rental properties. It reconciles the books, drafts tenant communications, tracks maintenance requests, and flags compliance deadlines. Running daily since 2025. Your system won't look like this. It'll be designed around your business. But this is proof the approach works when real money is on the line.
The Reality
The technology exists.
Building it for your business is the hard part.
You could use ChatGPT. You could try an open-source agent framework. But connecting AI to your actual email, your actual calendar, and your actual finances requires engineering, not just prompting.
You need permissions. You need boundaries. You need a system that knows the difference between "draft a reply" and "send invoice."
The people who need this most — solo attorneys, property managers, contractors — are drowning in "admin" that is actually complex decision-making. We automate the decisions.
What you get
Three services. One goal:
an agent that works for you.
Assess
We don't just look for "tasks" to automate. We map the nervous system of your company. We identify the decision loops, the data flows, and the bottlenecks. You get a blueprint for a fully autonomous operation, risk assessment, and ROI estimate. An engineering analysis, not a sales pitch.
Build
We deploy your agent into your actual infrastructure. No "sandbox" environments. We connect to your live banking, legal, and communication channels with scoped, secure access. We build the brain that knows your specific business logic.
Keep
Software isn't static. APIs change. Authentication tokens expire. Business logic evolves. We don't just hand you the keys and leave. We monitor the agent daily, correct drift, patch integrations, and ensure your system is up 24/7/365. That's the Upkeep.
Who is this for?
If your business runs on a computer,
it can run on code.
We don't target specific industries; we target specific inefficiencies. If your daily work involves moving information from one tab to another — email to spreadsheet, calendar to CRM, PDF to database — you are currently acting as a human router.
You should be the architect, not the router.
Agent Upkeep works for anyone whose value comes from decisions, not administration.
The Founder
Who needs to synthesize reports from five different departments.
The Researcher
Who needs to track thousands of data points across months.
The Dealmaker
Who needs to coordinate complex scheduling across time zones.
The Operator
Who needs to ensure compliance, billing, and logistics happen without fail.
If you spend more than 20% of your week clicking between open windows, we can reclaim that time.
Who builds this
Joel Cooper, PhD
Cognitive Psychologist. Instrumentation Engineer. Business Owner.
I built Agent Upkeep because I needed it. I run a research instrumentation company and a property management firm simultaneously, with zero employees. I've spent 16 years designing measurement systems for NHTSA, AAA Foundation, NASA, and every major automaker. When I needed a system to run the business side, I didn't hire a team. I engineered one.
The same discipline that goes into building ISO-certified research equipment goes into building your agent. Production-grade reliability. Full audit trails. Fail-safe defaults. I don't build demos. I build systems that run 24/7.
Trusted by Honda, Google, Toyota, Volvo, Ford, Volkswagen, NHTSA, AAA Foundation, and research institutions across 15 countries.
Common Questions
Common questions about AI agents
What is an AI agent?
Think of it as a digital employee that works 168 hours a week. Unlike a chatbot, it doesn't wait for you to ask. It connects to your real business systems — email, calendar, documents, finances — and does actual work. It triages your inbox at 6am, flags an overdue invoice, and drafts the lease renewal, all before you've had coffee.
Is it safe to let AI run my business?
Absolute safety is our primary engineering constraint. The system operates on a Human-in-the-Loop architecture using draft-before-send protocols.
- It drafts the email; you review and send.
- It prepares the transaction; you approve it.
- It never deletes data; it only archives.
You get the speed of automation with the safety of executive control.
How much does this cost?
It depends on scope. Readiness audits start at $2,500. Implementation projects range from $5,000 to $15,000. Ongoing maintenance retainers start at $2,000/month. Every engagement starts with a conversation to understand your specific infrastructure.
Do you work with businesses outside Salt Lake City?
Yes. Agent Upkeep is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but we deploy remotely for businesses anywhere in the United States.
What kind of businesses benefit most?
High-leverage, low-headcount operations.
- Solo Attorneys: Managing case deadlines and client intake.
- Property Managers: Juggling tenants, maintenance, and reconciliation.
- Consultants: Tracking projects and synthesis.
If you spend hours every week on tasks that follow a pattern, an agent can handle them.
Let's talk.
Tell me what's eating your time. I'll tell you whether an agent can fix it.
Based in Salt Lake City, Utah
Response Within one business day