Editor’s Note: This post has been created in collaboration with Boundary Holding. If you’re also interested in partnering with us, just reach out.
Globally, more than 20 million people report some kind of mobility difficulty each year. The mean age of individuals with minor, moderate, or major difficulty ranged from 59 to 67 years. However, this problem is not uncommon in young adults. People with mobility disability experience many transportation barriers, which hinders their participation in various events. Especially, a staircase is an insurmountable challenge for those who use a wheelchair.
At this juncture, using unexplored technology to great effect, the stair-climbing power wheelchair Scewo BRO has emerged as a savior for many, having won several notable design awards for its efficiency. It has already attracted a lot of users across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, among other nations. The founders of Scewo have brought this technologically sophisticated product to the market in just three years, demonstrating their outstanding talent.
From July-November, 2021, Switzerland-based company Scewo raised a total of CHF 11.5 million in Series A funding round to advance its growth and expansion. With this capital, the startup intends to accelerate company growth as well as international expansion. Verve Ventures, Rajat Khare-led European investment firm Boundary Holding and three more private investors took part in the funding round.
BRO is the only power wheelchair in the world that combines driving on two wheels with climbing stairs. Impressed by the versatility of the product, Mr. Khare, founder of European deep tech investment firm Boundary Holding met with the founders, Bernhard and Pascal in Switzerland. He saw that the founders had the kind of vision and passion that he strongly relates to and closed the deal soon after.
However, it is not just the unique technology, but also the distinctive design that sets BRO apart. The device offers individual seating comfort to the users. Thanks to the regular software updates, it also keeps getting more intelligent, offering more possibilities, creating a world that people with reduced mobility can discover independently and flexibly.
Talking about the development, Bernhard Winter, co-founder of Scewo said, “The interest from customers is huge! We are now evaluating strategically located and qualified distribution partners to offer local test drives and a good service.”
Established in 2014, Scewo also won the Swiss Medtech Award 2021 for its innovation and robust growth recently. BRO has also won several notable design awards independently after emerging as one of its kind power wheelchair. The device is equipped with sensors that measure environment and recognize the end of a staircase.
The power wheelchair can be controlled with a BRO-App on your smartphone or with the control panel that can be attached on either side. One can also control the direction and speed with the hand joystick, making it flexible and adaptable to various needs. The maximum speed of BRO is 10 km per hour and the battery offers over 1000 charging cycles. Users can also integrate an ever-increasing range of accessories in the device as per need.
