The multi-university venture fund led a $566,000 round for smart helmet developer Forcite, which has now collected $2m in total.

Forcite Helmet Systems, an Australia-based smart helmet developer, obtained A$800,000 ($566,000) yesterday in a round led by multi-university venture fund Uniseed.
Founded in 2014, Forcite builds connected motorcycle helmets which depend on computer software and an embedded camera to provide the rider with information on their surroundings, helping to counteract dangers arising from their lack of road visibility.
The technology can also record video and audio footage of each ride, enabling biking enthusiasts to film and share their journey safely. Forcite previously designed a smart helmet for alpine skiing.
Forcite will use the capital to tie up the design and production schedule for its helmet in preparation for its global launch in early 2019. The company is in discussions with motorcycle brands and distributors in Australia and the US, building on pilots conducted in both markets.
The business has raised approximately $2m of capital to date. It had received approximately $700,000 from investors including business angels by September 2015, according to Australian Financial Review.
Forcite was co-founded by two University of New South Wales industrial design graduates, Alfred Boyadgis and Julian Chow, after Boyadgis’s involvement in a serious motorcycle crash which resulted in his helmet splitting in two and an attached camera almost penetrating his skull.
Feature image courtesy of Forcite Helmet Systems