- Smart jewellery can provide a discreet way to increase personal safety
- Crowdfunded smart button BiiSafe focusses on increasing wearer’s safety and security in addition to traditional wellness tracking
- First crowdfunded on Indiegogo in 2014, BiiSafe is now raising equity crowdfunding on Invesdor
First there were smart watches and bracelets, now increasing amounts of technology are being crammed into items such as rings and necklaces: we are entering the era of fashion tech, or smart jewellery.
So far, the main uses of smart wearables have been tracking health-related activities such as exercise and sleep. Finnish BiiSafe is taking a different route and putting safety first.
“The most beneficial purpose for smart wearables is increasing safety and security,” says CEO Sauli Kiuru.
According to a study published by Ericsson this summer, personal safety wearables are sought after because consumers want to have a discreet way to send an alert for help in a threatening situation. A user’s first thought when seeing the BiiSafe Buddy, a disc the size of a small cookie, is probably to hang it on their key chain. However, thanks to BiiSafe’s collaboration with Finnish jewellery brand Kalevala Jewellery, the Buddy can also be worn embedded in pieces of jewellery.
“For example, the BiiSafe Buddy can be carried around inconspicuously in a necklace and used as a ‘panic button’ when the wearer encounters a threatening situation,” says Kiuru.
In addition to keeping its wearer safe, the BiiSafe Buddy keeps track of important items, such as keys or phones. It can even be used to keep loved ones, such as family members and pets, safe. Of course, the Buddy also tracks the usual wellness metrics such as steps.
The company has sold more than 50,000 units of the BiiSafe Buddy in approximately 30 countries; exports account for more than 90% of the company’s sales. BiiSafe is now getting ready to launch the next generation Buddy, which will connect to the cloud via low-power WiFi, ZIGBEE hub or Bluetooth 4.2. connection. To support the launch and sales, BiiSafe is raising equity crowdfunding on Invesdor. BiiSafe is no newcomer to crowdfunding as the BiiSafe Buddy’s development was originally funded by 310 backers on Indiegogo in 2014.
“BiiSafe is doing big things with a great product in an interesting industry, and they have crowdfunding experience to boot,” says Invesdor CEO Lasse Mäkelä. “We are happy to be able to help BiiSafe in its growth.”
BiiSafe is issuing shares on Invesdor’s equity crowdfunding platform with a goal of raising €220,000–550,000. Investors can read the materials and invest at Invesdor.com/biisafe.