Updated: Smart wearable jacket startup Cladlight has received Ksh 1 million seed funding to help them amp the designof their jackets and make them more cool for everyone and for any weather.
Charles Muchene and Michael Gathogo, the Cladlight co-founders, a motocycle smart wearable jacket startup incubated at the Nailab say the money, which they received unexpectedly will take them to great lengths of achieving their goals.
“We didn’t expect to get this money. We just finished the fireside talk and our investors suprised us with a Ksh 1 million cheque. Though it’s not close to what we need, we are grateful to have received it as it will help us buy components, improve the quality and design of the jackets as the exisiting ones are not longlasting. With this money we want to come up with better designs and all weather proof so many people can use them.”
Cladlight’s journey began in the trenches like any other startup. Charles Muchene,the CEO, who is a holder of a Bachelors of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from The Technical University of Kenya was bothered with lives of bicycle riders and their paassengers. He wanted to come up with a way of improving their visibility, day or night, while clearly showing intents to turn left, right or brake to avoid road accidents which claim over 3,000 to 10,000 lives a year according to WHO.
Cladlight’s reflective, indicator jackets would be used not just by ‘bodaboda’ riders but could be used for safety at assembly plants, warehouses, machine rooms among others. It’s major target however is the increasing population of the youthful motorcycle owners, motorcycle bodaboda riders and fitness enthusiasts.
Nailab’s Hisa Play, Mode Mara, Young Freddie, Taskwetu also raised money from investors on the Demo day held August 29 at the Nailab.
Update: An earlier version of this story wrongly reported that the $11,200 was an award and equity free. Nailab says the money was not an award but a seed investment for a stake in the company.