Brief - The Hustle

Roam raises $12m to build bionic suits for the people who really need them — tired skiers

Written by Conor Grant | Jun 30, 2020 10:16:07 AM

Roam, a Silicon Valley robotic exoskeleton company that makes super-suits to help hardcore skiers stay on the slopes longer just raised a $12m Series A.

While other exoskeleton startups build tech to assist people with chronic disabilities and prevent crippling injuries for warehouse employees, Roam’s mission is to help rich vacationers “who are having their experiences cut short” due to ski fatigue.

It’s all downhill for Roam

According to Roam’s site, its new ski product, Elevate, is “targeted toward die-hard skiers who wish to ski longer and stronger and push the edges of what’s possible.” The Elevate will be available for demo use this winter at ski resorts in Lake Tahoe, California, and later Park City, Utah. 

But, don’t get too excited to hit the robo-slopes unless you’ve got lots of cash and lots of patience: There’s a waitlist for the first shipment of skeletons, which will cost between $2k and $2.5k.

Clearly there’s a demand… 

But the exoskeleton market, expected to hit $2.5B by 2024, is still bigger off the slopes. 

Ekso Bionics, which makes products for medical rehabilitation and industrial safety, is already a publicly traded company with partnerships with huge manufacturers like Ford.