Shoka, a tech startup based in Budapest, Hungary, has been funded by Ruvento Ventures, a hardware venture capital firm based in Singapore. The Shoka Bell is the ultimate bicycle bell featuring a LED matrix display for navigation, GPS based theft alert, and various alert sounds. Through sleek prototyping vetted by industrial design partners, Ruvento Ventures will enable Shoka to finally bring its unique bicycle bell to global market.
Ruvento Ventures is Singaporean seed capital firm and accelerator focused on investment in consumer hardware startups. The companies in their portfolio have raised more than 2 million dollars on Indiegogo, successfully shipped their products to backers, and selling to major retail chains.
Shoka's collaboration with the hardware accelerator is set to begin with a crowdfunding campaign scheduled to launch next spring. If the campaign proves successful, then it will fund Shoka's initial production run. During the next six months, besides its initial production run, Shoka will also launch the iOS version of its app on early January. At the moment the Shoka app is designed to enhance user experience with an anti-theft function that alerts the user if his bike is moved, but can also notify the user if a friend is riding nearby.
"We are committed to bringing utility cyclers the product they deserve. By 2017, Shoka will be widely available with a variety of features, including a camera add-on," says Shoka founder Daniel Falus.
The Shoka Bell is entering the market at an opportune time for cycling. Cities across the globe are increasingly becoming destinations for generations Y and M, who are more conscious about personal transportation, and were raised with social media.
