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| Whill's Type-A personal mobility device--Courtesy of Whill |
Personal mobility startup Whill has raised $11 million in a Series A round following a successful stint on Kickstarter. The financing will go to manufacture and expand distribution of its sleek, off-road device.
It's unclear how the San Francisco-based startup expects to navigate regulators. For now, it seems to be trying to have it both ways--pitching the appeal of the product to the injured or disabled, but not aiming for FDA approval.
The company has not submitted for FDA review or clearance for its initial product, Whill Type-A; wheelchairs are regulated by FDA and considered a medical device. Without regulatory approval, it's difficult to see how the $9,500 "personal mobility device" could qualify for payer reimbursement, which would effectively limit its customers to those few who can pay out-of-pocket.
"Our mission is to reinvent the personal mobility experience for consumers with all types of disability, whether chair use is temporary or permanent, said Whill CEO Satoshi Sugie in a statement. "Whill was designed to power personal freedom by utilizing state-of-the-art technology that provides effortless navigation around obstacles, conditions and terrain in varied and unpredictable indoor and outdoor environments."
"With this investment, we're positioned to significantly expand our line and continue our pursuit of innovation and best-in-class options in the mobility industry," he added.
Founded in 2011, Whill was started and its products designed by former Toyota and Nissan engineers; a couple of executives also come from Japanese entertainment giant Sony. The startup first raised $35,000 in a Kickstarter campaign and then a $1.7 million seed round from Vegas Tech Fund, 500 Startups, Taiwan-based Kamiya Manufacture Group, Itochu Technology Ventures, Mitsubishi Bankand individual investors, according to a Wall Street Journal article.
The Whill Type-A device has all direction four-wheel-drive. Its electric battery takes five hours to charge, giving the device an average range of 10.6 miles. It goes as fast as 5.5 miles per hour, weighs 200 lbs. and can only carry weight of up to 220 lbs. The Type-A is also connected to a smartphone app via Bluetooth that sets the sensitivity of the controller, maximum speed and acceleration.
The Series A round was led by investment firm Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ). It also includes U.S. investors 500 Startups and Sun Microsystems co-founder and former CEO, Scott McNealy. Other investors are Jochu and NTT Docomo Ventures.
"Whill is uniquely positioned to provide both a stylish and effectively designed mobility solution that taps a huge market opportunity for those who live with mobility issues," commented McNealy in a statement.
- here is the release
- and here is the coverage by The Wall Street Journal and The Silicon Valley Business Journal