New technology from startup ventures is transforming the sports industry. The mission of this series is to introduce startup companies in the sports technology space to a broader audience and allow Founders of promising new ventures to tell their story. Feel free to submit your startup’s answers to the below questions or contact us if you know of a startup that should be considered for this series.
Company name: BEAKOR Cycling
Founder(s): Ludovic Kessas
Headquarters: France, Paris
1. What is your elevator pitch?
BEAKOR is a unique developed connected object and mobile application, providing a new cycling experience with enhanced safety solutions to all cyclists throughout the world.
BEAKOR is a highly technological device that can be mounted on any bicycle. The product is made of 2 independent wireless modules (front & back) that attach/detach very easily from the bike, and a remote control.
BEAKOR relies on 3 fundamental tools:
- An innovative lights system
- An integrated dual cam video system
- And a dedicated smartphone app available on iOS and Android
Among completely new features, the product counts: live cam rear view on smartphone, automated accident alert messages, live video streaming, turning indicators signaling and many more.
Beakor Product Ad from Beakor Cycling on Vimeo.
2. Problem & Solution
With more than 1 billion cyclists throughout the world, an increasing number of new urban practitioners every day, and the danger of cycling within cities, the need to enhance cycling safety has become a clear goal. We think our product will make a real difference.
According to most surveys throughout the world in 2014:
– 1 out of 10,000 cyclist will have an accident this year
– 15% of cycling accidents are severe or fatal
– 75% of cyclists’ accidents occur at or near a junction.
It is why it is important for us that BEAKOR embeds a unique light system that will improve cyclists’ safety, by increasing their visibility from all vehicles and pedestrians; but also, make more visible their own route ahead.
Nonetheless, as part of the new trend for dashboard cams and action cameras, we felt the need to embed our front and back BEAKOR modules with each, a HD camera that can record looping sequences of your journey for safety, insurance purposes; but also, cameras that can record continuous videos like any action cam for a fun use.
The native iOS and Android BEAKOR Smartphone application is developed to extend BEAKOR modules new features; features for some, never seen before.
The application enables you to control, improve the safety and analyze perfectly your journey. It will allow you also, to connect socially, access all your videos recorded and, manage and update your modules.
3. Market – your target market and the overall market
Our main target market is urban cyclists in Europe, US and Japan (over 20 millions cycling commuters)
The overall market is cyclists throughout the world who use their bicycle for commuting, sport cycling session or just have fun cruising (1 billion cyclists).
4. Business Model – how do you make money?
After doing all the R&D, our main activity is to produce and sell BEAKOR main combo (front & back) wireless modules system and application.
On a lighter note, we will provide goodies with LED animated BEAKOR logo T-Shirts and handlebars phone holders.
Our second development stage is to provide an enhanced paying smartphone application that could offer a cloud platform in order to store all the videos recorded and hence free BEAKOR user’s smartphone memory space; plus other features to be announced at a later stage.
5. Management Team – with titles
Ludovic Kessas – CEO and Founder
Sébastien Kessas – CFO and Head of Sales
6. What else do you want the audience to know about your venture?
Although we are well advanced in our R&D, we are still looking for financing for our production tools and first production batch.
We will hence launch our crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter on September 1st. Firsts units will be sold with large discounts.