Cool is not one of the words that comes to mind when people think about the mini-scooters that seniors and people with disabilities use to get around. A Rochester Hills-based start-up thinks it has come up with the cool version of that scooter.
Berylline and its team of about a half-dozen people have created a new vehicle that looks like a scooter but with three wheels. Think of a modern scooter but with two wheels in the front with a wide wheel base and tires that don't lack for tread.
"The concept is proven," says Steve Sandstedt, a business advisor for Berylline. "It's really a cool product that provides more mobility for seniors."
The 1-year-old company has created a concept vehicle and is looking to start production by the end of this year. It is also looking to raise a seed capital round worth between $500,000 and $1 million this year to move the company forward. It recently received five figures' worth of financing from the
Michigan Microloan Fund to help push its development forward and get it ready for an urban environment.
"This product provides an opportunity to have an alternative urban form of transportation," Sandstedt says.
Source: Steve Sandstedt, a business advisor for Berylline
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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