Have you ever imagined a device that could safeguard your knees as effectively as a car airbag protects passengers? Former basketball hopeful Kylin Shaw is making this vision a reality with his startup, Hippos Exoskeleton. This "knee sleeve" not only measures stress on the knee joint but also inflates around it in a mere 30 milliseconds to prevent major injuries like ACL and MCL tears. In fact, it's faster than the 60 milliseconds it takes for ACL tears to occur.

From Basketball Dreams to Injury Revelation

Shaw shared his story with TechCrunch. "I have loved basketball since I was six years old, and it became my entire life for the next decade," he said. He dedicated himself to intensive training, but at 17, while preparing for a professional basketball career and NCAA trials, he heard a sickening pop from his knee after landing from a dunk. This injury ended his sporting career prospects but gave him the inspiration to combine AI-driven sensors and a "knee-bag." He even dropped out of the London School of Economics to pursue its development.

How the Knee Airbag Works

The Hippos brace uses predictive AI to detect risky movements in real-time. By doing so, it deploys airbags around the knee, potentially saving athletes thousands in medical expenses. Shaw and his co-founder Bhavy Metakar initially bootstrapped the company by investing $1,000 of their savings to develop a prototype and secure initial pre-orders from clinics and athletes. Now, they have raised a $642,000 pre-seed round from investors like Possible Ventures and Silicon Roundabout Ventures.

Shaw told TechCrunch that the company has already received "over six figures in pre-orders" and will use the new funding to further develop the product and aim for a full launch in about three months. The eventual unit is expected to cost around $129 and come with a subscription plan ranging from $29 per month to $99 per month, covering AI-driven insights, small air canisters, and workout tracking.

Trials and Real-World Impact

The startup has conducted trials with U.K. football clubs and with star athletes such as world skiing champion Alex Schlopy of the U.S. Ski Team. Schlopy stated in a statement, "I'm impressed by the preventative function, and it feels so light and comfortable! This brace gives me a sense of psychological safety." Beyond elite athletes, Shaw believes the product could be used for injury prevention by anyone, including those in construction jobs or the elderly.

Hippos is indeed entering a promising market. Approximately 150,000 ACL injuries are reported in the United States each year, and 8.6 million globally among adults. These statistics don't include injuries among children. Most health solutions focus on rehabilitation rather than prevention. Existing companies in this space, such as Enovis' DonJoy (orthopedic braces and supports), ExoKinetics' Zeen (devices primarily for rehabilitation), and Shock Doctor (sports braces and protective gear for injury management), do not offer predictive or reactive technology like the Hippos air-bag.

Investor Support and Future Prospects

Also participating in the round were Huggingface's co-founder and CSO, Thomas Wolf; Wayve's co-founder Amar Shah, and Dr. James Brown, the lead sports medicine doctor at UK Athletics. With this support and the potential of their innovative product, Hippos is well-positioned to make a significant impact in the field of joint protection. It offers a unique solution that combines advanced technology with practical application, providing hope for those at risk of knee injuries.