- Briefing Your roundup of Asian tech and startup news that matter
Peter Rothenberg · · 1 min readWheelchair alternative raises $17.5m, now one of the most well funded startups in Japan
Whill, a startup dedicated to building better wheelchairs and mobility devices, plans to enter the European market after raising a $17.5 million Series B. The round was led by Eight Road Ventures with participation from other investors including Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership and Golden Asia Fund II.
Founded four years ago in Tokyo, Whill is now headquartered in San Francisco. It has raised a total of $30.2 million in venture funding to date. Some of Whill’s Series B will also be used to market its devices in the United States, where it launched an airport rental program last month.
CEO Satoshi Sugie has previously compared the evolution of the telephone from 1932 until now with the basically unchanged wheelchair.
This funding round makes Whill one of the most well funded startups in Japan. Its recent clearance from the Food and Drug Administration is big step towards capturing the US market, but it will be curious to see what sort of regulation hurdles it faces in Europe.
Tech in Asia has reached out to Whill for further comment.
Editing by Kylee McIntyre
(And yes, we’re serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
