Pre-orders for the AR-1 raised more than $2.4 million on Indiegogo in November 2014. Billed as a sophisticated “augmented reality” helmet – featuring a heads-up display and a 180-degree rear-view camera – the project has instead driven home the harsh reality of the risks of sinking money into unrealised online schemes.
Unlike the oft-promised deliveries, few of which, if any, were actually honoured, the end came quickly. As we report in the forthcoming August issue of BDN, news emerged earlier this month that the San Francisco startup had ousted its founder and CEO Marcus Weller and his brother Mitch, and handed the helmet straps to chief operating officer Martin Fitcher.
However, since BDN went to press, website digitaltrends reports that the company has closed down, although Skully’s website remains online – still offering free summer delivery but indicating that its helmets are “sold out” – and the management still talks about “continuing to fulfill our pre-orders”. Deliveries had originally been slated for May 2015 and there has been growing criticism from investors, as we reported in our October 2015 issue ('Skully fiasco shakes crowdfund confidence'). On the back of that story, BDN contacted Skully in November and was assured that deliveries would begin the following month.
As well as question marks over the number of helmets produced, the company evaded repeated requests to provide evidence of the safety certificates it claimed to have for the American and European markets. There would be two versions, we were told, one for the American market that would be DOT approved and one for Europe which was ECE approved.
“Those are the two primary certifications which the helmet will be launching with,” the spokesman said, concluding: “We are excited to near the official shipping date and we have no doubt that customers will find the AR-1 helmet worth the wait.”
The only wait now for investors is whether they will get their money back – and the wait is likely to be a long one indeed.
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