Andreas Nergaard had long wondered why motorcycles were so far behind cars on smart features. Motorcyclists live to adapt their bikes to their needs, and eagerly spend money on exhausts, luggage, and extra lights. But as a technologist, he found it strange that everything was based on technology from the last century.
In 2020 he had planned to go on a several months-long motorcycle trip, and had spent a lot of time understanding the aftermarket equipment market. He wanted an accident alert system, a theft alarm, smart lights, tyre pressure monitoring, and some other "smart" functions. But the limited offering and the awkwardness of installation frustrated him.
2020 proved to be the wrong year for international travel, and Nergaard ended up in lockdown in Oslo. During the summer he told Ole Kristian Western, an inventor with a background in aerospace, about the problem, and how he couldn't understand why the products he wanted weren't available. "Make them yourself!" was Western's response. Over the next few hours, it became clear that with their combined skills could solve the problem, and the seed of Aware Moto was sown.
The founders have spent the last two years developing a functioning prototype equipped with sensors and connectivity, making smart features simple and cheap to implement. The unit also provides accident alert, alarm, tracker, and other basic features out-of-the-box. They plan to release their first product in 2023, and are currently raising funds to complete the development.
"For motorcyclists their hobby is often an extremely important part of their life. The freedom and joy of mastery found on two wheels gives a breathing space from the grind of everyday life, and our goal as a business is to support that experience," Nergaard states. "We're showing our prototype to a larger audience for the first time at Norway's largest motorcycle trade show March 3 - 5 2023, and we're looking forward to interesting conversations about motorcycles and technology."