Motorcycle helmets date back to the early twentieth century. T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was a British Army offi cer who died from head injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash. His neurosurgeon, Sir Hugh Cairns, was so bothered by the injuries and fatalities he had seen from motorcycle accidents that he dedicated time and research into increasing the safety of riding motorcycles. The fi rst crash helmets were based on his extensive research. Helmets have evolved over the years, from focusing on style over safety, to incorporating full-face visors, to adding ample cushion to absorb impact to the head. In the twenty-fi rst century, with the advent of wearable technology, motorcycle helmets have taken the next great leap in rider safety. SKULLY, a successful startup based in San Francisco, has revolutionized the motorcycle helmet by adding on-board intelligence, a heads-up display within the driver’s view, and a rearview camera that provides 180-degree blind-spot protection.

THE HELMET EVOLVED: ENGINEERING THE OUTER LIMITS OF HUMAN CAPABILITY

SKULLY CUSTOMER PROFILE

The Helmet Evolved: Engineering the Outer Limits of Human Capability 1

“The software is so intuitive, so easy to use, that we were able to come up with this organic design that matches up with a previously existing product that didn’t actually have a CAD (Computer Aided Design) model. ”

— Marcus Weller, Founder

FROM A DREAM TO REALITYMarcus Weller, an avid motorcycle rider, founded SKULLY in 2013. A motorcycle accident he had in 2011 inspired his idea for the helmet. Following the accident, he had a dream that he was riding wearing a helmet with a holographic heads-up GPS display so he knew exactly where he was going. In addition, the helmet provided Marcus information that helped him be more aware of the traffic situation around him. He shared this vivid dream with his brother Mitchell, who recalled what Marcus had told him: “He was driving along listening to music. He knew exactly where he was going, so he didn’t have to read the street sign, and when the car in front of him slammed on its brakes, he easily swerved around it. Then he continued to have this immersive experience where he was communicating with the helmet and receiving information back.”

After searching for any such product on the market and not finding one, Marcus decided to build it. Within six months, he had a working prototype, and Mitchell joined the company to help turn it into a real product. SKULLY uses SOLIDWORKS® to design and test its helmets from concept to production. Mitchell Weller, Vice President of Operations at SKULLY, explains, “The software is so intuitive, so easy to use, that we were able to come up with this organic design that matches up with a previously existing product that didn’t actually have a CAD (Computer Aided Design) model.” The company also uses SOLIDWORKS Simulation solutions to test its components prior to producing them, which delivers the benefits of decreased cost and increased product quality. This is of critical importance because the helmet is a safety device. Gathering feedback from the market helped SKULLY shape its product messaging. Even with all the high-tech features of the intelligent helmet, enhancing rider safety was the number-one concern of users who provided feedback during the beta testing application process. Mitchell explains, “Your potential customers want to engage with you and have their voices be heard. If you do a word bubble from all of their applications, all of the essays they wrote, safety is the biggest word. So we put safety at the center of every thought level for every feature in the system as a whole.”

The Helmet Evolved: Engineering the Outer Limits of Human Capability 2

THE FUNDING JOURNEYIn its early stages, SKULLY received funding from several sources. Initial funding came from a variety of angel investors, as well as friends and family. The motorcycle helmet innovator participated in a few hardware accelerator programs: NestGSV (now GSVLabs) in Redwood City, California; and SXSW in Austin, Texas. These programs helped them prepare a strong go-to-market strategy and enabled them to network with other investors who provided additional seed funding. The seed funding allowed the fledgling business to refine its prototype and prepare for production. In August 2014, the company started a crowdfunding campaign where they presold its helmets through Indiegogo and received USD $2.4M in revenue in just two months, capping the largest technology campaign on the Indiegogo platform. With the presales campaign justifying the market demand for their revolutionary product, SKULLY then received USD $11 million in Series A funding in February 2015, with Intel Capital and Walden Riverwood Ventures leading the round.

Mitchell offers his perspective on working with hardware accelerators: “One of the biggest things is kind of intangible. It was more being around other people that were struggling. Everyone feels like they’re failing all the time, but then when you get everybody together and they talk about all the things they’re struggling with and then all the things that they do really well, it builds a sense of community around that. It helps people to keep going. Knowing there are others who are going through a tough time as well is incredibly valuable because I don’t think anybody will tell you a story of how they started a company and everything went hunky dory.”

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RIDING THE WAVE OF WEARABLE TECHSKULLY is seeing great demand for its intelligent helmet. The motorcycle community is a special breed of people who enjoy the freedom and risk that accompanies the sport. One thing that sets the helmet manufacturer apart from its competition is putting the customer at the center of their development process. They are always thinking about the next best thing, attempting to innovate, but only when it brings value to their customers. SKULLY has successfully managed to integrate a set of complex technologies and make it simple for users to enjoy its benefi ts. Based on how successful they have been with their initial product, one can only see a bright future for the company as it marries a core safety product with wearable technology. What is SKULLY’s approach to the future? To stay ahead of the curve. “We fully intend to out-innovate everyone in this space,” Mitchell added.