Superpedestrian, a Boston-based spin-out from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has landed $2.1m in seed backing for a motor capable of being fitted to standard bicycles.

The round is being led by Spark Capital with backing from Tumblr founder David Karp. Proceeds from the round will be used to support the roll-out of the product, due to begin next month.

Called the Copenhagen Wheel, the motor, which was originally developed at MIT’s SENSEable City Laboratory, aims to get more commuters out of the car and onto the bike.

Assaf Biderman, founder of Superpedestrian and associate director of the SENSEable City Lab, said: “If you think about today’s cities, they have been developed for the scale of the automobile, with people being required to travel great distances that are quiet large. Most cities are built around topographies that require motorized transport and it can make cycling and walking very difficult.”

Superpedestrian aims to counteract this by providing cyclists with a boost through to motor to enable easier cycling. The Copenhagen Wheel utilises sensors and a smartphone app to measure the amount of effort the rider puts into pedalling, and then assists when terrain proves a greater challenge, such as riding uphill. Biderman explained that with the wheel in place “riding on a flat surface, or up a hill, will feel exactly the same.”

The wheel doesn’t require charging (it charges itself whilst going downhill), and also doesn’t require input from the rider as it automatically compensates using its sensors.

Cycling has been highlighted in numerous reports as the most effective method to prevent obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other major conditions in the developed world related to a lack of exercise. This is due to the ease of which it can be adapted around a daily routine, the lack of impact it has on joints compared to jogging and other sports, and overall improvements to health it can offer.