Hippos Exoskeleton manufactures an airbag‑based knee brace that inflates within milliseconds to protect the joint during high‑impact activities such as sports or manual labor. The device targets athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and workers at risk of knee injuries, offering a wearable exoskeleton that reduces the likelihood of ligament tears and associated downtime. Revenue is generated through direct‑to‑consumer sales and pre‑order campaigns on the company’s website.
Funding
$640K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
PVSRFounders
Product
Problem
ACL and other knee injuries are common in sports, often caused by sudden changes in direction, abrupt stops, or improper landings. These injuries can lead to months of rehabilitation, surgery, and potentially derail athletic careers. Female athletes are statistically more prone to ACL injuries than their male counterparts.
Solution
Hippos Exoskeleton has developed an AI-powered, auto-inflating knee brace designed to mitigate the risk of ACL and other knee injuries during physical activity. The brace uses sensors and embedded AI to detect when the knee joint is approaching a breaking point. If a potentially harmful movement is detected, the brace deploys an airbag in under 25 milliseconds, providing cushioning and support to prevent ligament rupture. The airbag then deflates, allowing the athlete to continue playing, and the brace is reusable.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes athletes in sports with high ACL injury rates, such as football (soccer), AFL, and basketball, as well as sports medicine professionals and athletic trainers.
Features
- AI-powered system that detects potentially harmful knee movements in milliseconds
- Auto-inflating airbag that deploys in under 25 milliseconds to protect the knee joint
- Sensors at the top and bottom of the brace to monitor joint position and movement
- Reusable airbag system for continuous protection during activity
- AI learns the athlete's range of motion based on thousands of movements
- Provides personalized feedback and suggests rest when the knee is at risk
- Malfunction rate of only six incidents across more than 4,000 tests with professional athletes