Table of Contents
- 0.1 A Game-Changing Innovation for Athletes
- 0.2 The Technology Behind Hippos Exoskeleton
- 0.3 Early Innovations and Funding Success
- 0.4 Testing with Elite Athletes
- 0.5 Expanding the Market Reach
- 0.6 A Market with Unmet Needs
- 0.7 The Road Ahead
- 1 How have elite athletes responded to testing the knee-sleeve airbag, and what insights have you gained from their feedback?
Headline: Revolutionary Knee-Sleeve Airbag for Injury Prevention Launched by Startup Hippos Exoskeleton
A Game-Changing Innovation for Athletes
Imagine if knee injuries, which afflict countless athletes every year, could be prevented with the same speed and technology as car airbags. This is the vision of Kylin Shaw, a former basketball hopeful whose career was cut short by a devastating knee injury. His startup, Hippos Exoskeleton, is developing a revolutionary “knee sleeve” that deploys airbags around the knee joint within a blazing fast 30 milliseconds, promising to protect against catastrophic injuries like ACL and MCL tears.
“I’ve loved basketball since I was six years old. For the next decade, it became my entire life,” Shaw told TechCrunch. His passion was abruptly interrupted at age 17 when he suffered a serious knee injury while preparing for a professional career. This life-altering moment sparked the idea for an innovative product that combines AI-driven sensors with a protective “knee-bag.”
The Technology Behind Hippos Exoskeleton
Shaw’s journey led him to drop out of the London School of Economics to focus on developing the knee sleeve. The device utilizes predictive AI technology to assess stress on the knee joint in real time. When risky movements are detected, the sleeve inflates, providing immediate protection, which could save athletes significant medical expenses down the road.
According to Hippos, the sleeve inflates faster than the estimated time it takes for an ACL tear to occur, providing a substantial safety advantage for athletes engaged in high-impact sports.
Early Innovations and Funding Success
Shaw, along with co-founder Bhavy Metakar (CTO), initially bootstrapped Hippos with just $1,000 of their personal savings. Their innovative approach quickly generated interest, leading to “over six figures in pre-orders” from clinics and athletes. Recently, the startup secured a $642,000 pre-seed funding round from notable investors, including Possible Ventures and Silicon Roundabout Ventures.
“Using the new funding, we plan to refine our product further and aim for a full launch in roughly three months,” Shaw revealed to TechCrunch. The intended retail price for the knee sleeve is set at approximately $129, along with a subscription plan ranging from $29 to $99 per month. This plan will cover AI-driven insights, the provision of small air canisters, and workout tracking functionalities.
Testing with Elite Athletes
Hippos has conducted trials with U.K. football clubs and featured endorsements from high-profile athletes. World skiing champion Alex Schlopy from the U.S. Ski Team highlighted the product’s potential, stating, “I’m impressed by the preventative function and it feels so light and comfortable! This brace gives me a sense of psychological safety.”
Expanding the Market Reach
The implications of this innovative technology stretch far beyond elite athletes. Shaw envisions applications for injury prevention among workers in physically demanding industries, as well as older adults looking to maintain mobility and avoid injuries. With approximately 150,000 ACL injuries reported annually in the United States alone, and 8.6 million globally, there is a clear need for preventative solutions.
A Market with Unmet Needs
Current health solutions primarily focus on rehabilitation rather than prevention, marking a significant gap in the current market. Existing brands targeting joint protection, such as Enovis’ DonJoy and Shock Doctor, mainly offer supportive devices for post-injury management. In contrast, Hippos’ airbag technology represents a significant leap forward, addressing injury prevention with a unique predictive and reactive approach.
The Road Ahead
With promising early developments and robust interest from the athletic community, Hippos Exoskeleton is poised to make significant strides in athlete safety and injury prevention. As the product approaches its launch, it stands to reshape the way athletes—from professionals to amateurs—think about joint protection strategies.
The introduction of such advanced technology could ignite broader conversations about injury prevention in sports and across various industries, ultimately leading to safer environments for all.
As the conversation on injury prevention evolves, readers are invited to share their thoughts on this innovation. What are your views on wearable technology in sports? Join the dialogue below!
How have elite athletes responded to testing the knee-sleeve airbag, and what insights have you gained from their feedback?
Hello and welcome to our interview with Kylin Shaw and Bhavy Metakar, the founders of Hippos Exoskeleton, a startup that has developed a revolutionary knee-sleeve airbag for injury prevention. Today, we’ll be discussing the inspiration behind this innovation, the technology behind it, early successes, testing with elite athletes, and expanding the market reach.
Firstly, could you tell us how the idea for a knee-sleeve airbag came about? What were your thoughts when you first discovered its potential and how it can benefit athletes and others at risk of knee injuries?
Kylin Shaw: Sure, the idea came about after I suffered a serious knee injury that derailed my basketball career. It occurred to me that if we could apply the same type of speed and technology found in car airbags to protect us from knee injuries, it could be a game-changer. We started off by using AI-driven sensors to detect stress on the knee joint and developed a device that deploys airbags around the knee within 30 milliseconds to provide immediate protection, reducing the risk of ACL and MCL tears. The knee sleeve is lightweight and comfortable, so it doesn’t interfere with an athlete’s performance while providing them with psychological safety.
Bhavy Metakar: Exactly! We believe that with the right technology, we can revolutionize injury prevention in sports and other industries where knee injuries are common. We are excited about the potential impact this product can have on people’s lives.
That’s fantastic. Can you give our readers a brief overview of the technology behind the knee-sleeve airbag? How does it work, and how does it differ from existing solutions?
Kylin Shaw: The knee sleeve uses AI-driven sensors to continuously monitor the wearer’s movement and knee stress. When it detects a high-risk movement, it deploys an airbag around the knee joint in less than 30 milliseconds, providing protection against catastrophic injuries like ACL and MCL tears. Unlike traditional braces that only offer support, our sleeve is designed to actively prevent injuries
