In&motion raises $12 million for its wearable airbag systems

French startup

Inmotion

has raised a $12 million (€10 million) funding round led by Upfront Ventures with 360 Capital also participating. The company has been working on wearable airbag systems for motorbikes.

Integrated in a vest, the airbag is completely autonomous and can detect crashes in 60 milliseconds. The company has worked on a device called the Inbox that analyzes movements in real time. Thanks to different sensors, the device can determine when it’s time to activate the airbag.

Inmotion has worked on different profiles for different types of activities. For instance, if you’re riding a motorcycle on a MotoGP track, chances are you’re going to move faster and change your trajectory quite often. You can choose between traditional motorcycle riding, track and off-road.

Professional racers are also increasingly using airbag systems. In addition to MotoGP racers, participants in the 2021 Dakar Rallye will have to use airbags.

The go-to-market strategy is interesting as the startup isn’t selling its system directly to end users. Inmotion has partnered with existing motorcycle brands so that they can integrate the system in some vests. This way, Inmotion doesn’t have to build out a network of resellers from scratch. So far, the company has sold tens of thousands of systems.

There’s also a

subscription component

with unlimited warranty and the ability to replace the Inbox device with a new model after three years.

With today’s funding round, the company wants to expand beyond its home country with a focus on Germany and the U.S. The company plans to double the size of its team.

Image Credits: In&motion