Featured Startup Pitch: LUMA ACTIVE – Lighting headgear for outdoor athletes

ELEVATOR PITCH

The world’s first ever lighting headgear for outdoor sports.

PRODUCT/SERVICE DESCRIPTION

Do you love being outdoors, going for a run, walking your dog, hiking in the mountains or just having a relaxing stroll in the evening or early morning? As soon as you leave well-lit areas you need a light source that illuminates your way and backlights that increase your visibility and keep you safe. Especially when it’s cold it can be cumbersome finding and adjusting all the equipment that you need before you can finally set off, and once you’re on your way the headlamp slips, shakes, squeezes and is hard to operate when wearing gloves.

Due to our passion for sports, we found ourselves in those situations time-and-time again, so it was just a matter of time until we started to think about a smart solution to all that awkward bother. Finally, we created a powerful and comfortable product: The LUMA ACTIVE.

LUMA ACTIVE is the unique headgear that combines high-quality breathable fabrics with a powerful and durable LED system. Thanks to its ultra-light and ergonomic design, LUMA ACTIVE is comfortable to wear and is made for active people who love being outdoors, no matter what time it is. The well-conceived functions are easy-to-use and give you the chance to fully concentrate on your outdoor experience and enjoy every step to the fullest.

DIFFERENTIATORS VS. THE COMPETITION

The creation of a super small and lightweight but still powerful LED system was one of the main challenges of this project, but the result is thrilling: LUMA ACTIVE weighs less than 70 g (including the cap or headband). After numerous prototypes, we finally succeeded in providing an integration mechanism which doesn’t need any additional components like zippers or snaps and, therefore, doesn’t affect the wearing comfort at all.

The LED system is protected by a solid casing that shields the electrical components from water, sweat, dust, and mechanical stress, whilst following the natural form of the human head. Together with the low weight and compact design, this results in an outstanding wearing comfort that makes you completely forget that you’re wearing something on your head.

The three lighting modes are the result of extensive tests with a huge number of different light intensities. As a result, the LUMA ACTIVE now provides the ideal light for every situation.

The red backlights can be easily switched between constant lighting and flashing. If not needed, the backlights can be turned off to save battery life.

Seen from a distance, the triangle at the back of your head is illuminated by the red light and increases your visibility. The triangle has been chosen as the ideal form because it is automatically associated with alertness and further increases your safety.

All functions of the LED system can be controlled by a single button. Thanks to the smart design of its casing, the button can also be pressed while wearing gloves. The LED system can be easily removed to wash the cap or headband or to transfer it to another cap or headband. Removal and installation of the LED system takes just a few seconds.

The integrated battery with a capacity of 1,100 mAh can be easily recharged with a standard micro USB charger as used for smartphones, MP3 players and other common devices. A slot in the cap or headband allows you to charge the LUMA ACTIVE without removing the LED system.

All electrical components are protected by a solid casing. The waterproofness of IPX4 allows you to use LUMA ACTIVE in all weather conditions and shields the electronical components from rain, snow and sweat.

FOUNDERS’ STORY

We are the LUMA Team (co-founders: Wolfgang Knöbl (marketing, IP and law) and Florian Schneebauer (project lead, development and distribution)) and we’re crazy about sports and smart solutions which make life easier and offer major benefits to people. We met each other while studying innovation management and set up a company to share a common passion: To create new things that do their job better than anything that already exists. Our LUMA user group consists of more than 130 people who offered their support during this project and had a huge impact on the final result. By taking part in several surveys and by testing LUMA ACTIVE prototypes and providing feedback, they were highly involved in the development process and the definition of product details such as colors and lighting modes.

BUSINESS MODEL

$129. (headband), $140. (cap).