Mosa cofounders Simon Laument, left, and Josh Liu.
“If we want to get more people on bikes, cities need to address bicycle parking security issues for cyclists,” said serial entrepreneur Josh Liu, cofounder of Mosa, a London-based startup.
Along with Simon Laumet, an industrial designer, the pair want space owners—such as office buildings, residential developments, and shopping centers—to retrofit standard freestanding bike racks with their rugged chains locked and unlocked with smartphones.
Mosa’s retrofitted chain lock.
Founded almost three years ago, Mosa was initially known as GoVelo.
“We offer secure parking for bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, and cargo bikes, and the name GoVelo might have suggested a focus solely on bikes, which is why we decided to change it,” explained Liu, who has previously worked for Foxconn, one of the contractors Apple use for the manufacture of iPhones.
Liu, 45, and Laument, 34, have previously worked on bicycle-based startups, including the now-defunct Honor Cycles, a mobile cycle maintenance firm.
“We are passionate about cycling and its inclusive nature,” said Liu.
“We believe that secure parking should be available to everyone, regardless of income.”
Mosa’s proprietary software and smart lock hardware will be offered for a subscription fee to space owners, who can access usage statistics through a digital dashboard.
Bike and e-scooter owners reserve a lock through Mosa’s app; an encrypted key is then sent to the user’s smartphone. The phone’s NFC will activate the lock and send the received encrypted key via Bluetooth for identity verification.
The hardware used by Mosa is manufactured by Giant of Taiwan, the world’s largest manufacturer of quality bicycles.
“Giant is the ideal manufacturing partner for our company,” said Liu.
“As a Taiwanese myself, I worked hard to convince Giant to work with us. Giant’s AIPS Technology division works on innovative projects with other startups. We currently have a patent pending on our technology. Giant offers us their mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and manufacturing expertise to help us in the design-for-manufacturing phase. Later, they will drive the supply chain to help us manufacture our locks.”
Mosa has received financial backing from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s $429 million Urban Mobility program.
The first large-scale trial of Mosa’s service took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, in November last year. A two-week trial will start next week at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London, run in partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation.
Mosa is seeking micromobility users to join the trial and test the smart lock technology. The app, warns a Mosa statement, is “unpolished.”
The trial locations will be at the London Aquatics Centre and the Timber Lodge Cafe.
Liu said Mosa would soon unveil a program for investors.
“We want to put our social mission first,” said Liu, “and then before launching our equity crowdfunding campaign we will be seeking investment from investors who share our passion for sustainable transportation and social impact.”
