Skully (helmet)

The helmet was invented by Marcus Weller{{cite web|last1=Cava|first1=Marco della|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/12/02/change-agents-marcus-weller-skully-helmets/3542769/#2|title=Change agents Marcus Weller Skully Helmets | website=USA Today|accessdate=15 June 2015}} who also served as the company chief executive officer. As of July 12, 2016 Marcus Weller was removed as CEO and replaced by Martin Fitcher.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/12/ar-helmet-maker-skully-ceo-and-chief-of-staff-booted-out-by-investors/|title=AR helmet maker Skully investors boot founders, replacing them with Martin Fitcher as CEO|last1=Mannes|first1=John|last2=Buhr|first2=Sarah|website=TechCrunch|date=13 July 2016 |access-date=2016-07-18}} Fichter was an executive at mobile device company HTC's American subsidiary in Bellevue, Washington.{{YouTube|title=NW Tech Perspectives—Martin Fitcher|id=J1zYz3hI37E}} Washington Technology Industry Association (October 2, 2012) The helmet's software is based on the Android platform, and can be controlled with voice commands. Users can see rearward through the heads-up display and the rear camera.{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/01/15/skully-motorbike-helmet_n_4600923.html |title=Skully Motorbike Helmet Gives You Eyes in the Back of Your Head (VIDEO) |publisher=Huffington Post |date=January 15, 2014}} The helmet also includes Bluetooth functionality, allowing music streaming from smartphones.{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57612658-93/high-tech-skully-helmet-a-google-glass-thats-born-to-be-wild/ |title=High-tech Skully helmet: A Google Glass that's born to be wild |publisher=CNET News |author=Seth Rosenblatt |date=November 16, 2013}}

As of August, 2014, the manufacturer was taking preorders for the helmet. The company also had the fastest fully funded Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to-date, raising $1.1 million.{{cite news|last1=Chokkattu|first1=Jullian|title=The Skully Smart Helmet Is The Fastest Funded Indiegogo Campaign To Hit $1M|url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/14/the-skully-smart-helmet-is-the-fastest-funded-indiegogo-campaign-to-hit-1m/|accessdate=11 August 2016|publisher=Tech Crunch|date=14 August 2014}} However, there were significant production delays with the helmet{{Cite web|url=http://www.therideadvice.com/is-the-dream-of-motorcycle-huds-fading/|title=TheRideAdvice.com|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=}} including company insider accounts estimating no more than 20 to 100 shipped units as of July 12, 2016.

Skully Helmets Inc shut down in July 2016{{Citation |url= https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/26/once-promising-ar-motorcycle-helmet-startup-skully-has-crashed-and-burned/ |title= Skully has crashed and burned |date= July 26, 2016 |first=Sarah |last= Buhr |website=TechCrunch }} and was expected to declare bankruptcy shortly afterward.{{cite news|last1=Smith|first1=Aaron|title=Bankruptcy imminent for failed Indiegogo startup Skully|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/technology/skully-indiegogo-weller-lawsuit/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom|accessdate=11 August 2016|publisher=CNN Money|date=11 August 2016}} Despite having raised $2.5 million through the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, and an additional $11 million in venture capital from Intel and others, the company was unable to secure additional funding. Former executive assistant, Isabelle Faithauer, sued Skully Helmets Inc and the founders, Marcus and Mitchell Weller, for fraudulently using corporate funds for personal use,{{cite news|last1=Carson|first1=Biz|title=Lawsuit claims startup founders used company money to pay for strip club, groceries, and rent|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/lawsuit-claims-skully-founders-spent-money-on-strip-club-rent-2016-8|accessdate=11 August 2016|date=8 August 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Collins|first1=Andrew|title=Failed HUD Helmet Maker Skully Spent Funding On Strippers And Exotic Cars: Lawsuit|url=http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/failed-hud-helmet-maker-skully-spent-r-d-money-on-strip-1785093398|accessdate=11 August 2016|publisher=Jalopnik|date=10 August 2016}} although Marcus Weller denied the claims of the lawsuit. The lawsuit was later dropped.{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/07/lawsuit-against-ar-helmet-maker-skully-over-strippers-and-sports-cars-has-been-dropped/|title=Lawsuit against AR helmet maker Skully over strippers and sports cars has been dropped|date=2018-03-07|work=VentureBeat|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/07/skully-lawsuit-dropped-as-fired-upset-accuser-withdraws-lurid-claims/|title=Skully lawsuit dropped as fired, 'upset' accuser withdraws lurid claims|date=2018-03-07|work=The Mercury News|access-date=2018-05-16|language=en-US}}

Skully Helmets Inc was also sued by supplier Flextronics for over $1 million in unpaid inventory expenses.{{cite news|last1=Kendall|first1=Marisa|title=Skully: Failed motorcycle helmet startup hit with new lawsuit|url=http://www.siliconbeat.com/2016/09/21/skully-failed-motorcycle-helmet-startup-hit-new-lawsuit/|accessdate=2 June 2017|publisher=Silicon Beat|date=21 September 2016}} The case was stayed during bankruptcy proceedings, and the assets were sold to Skully Technologies.

The assets of Skully Helmets Inc were acquired in 2017 by Ivan and Rafael Contreras, renaming the company Skully Technologies and relocating it to Atlanta, Georgia.{{cite news|last1=Buhr|first1=Sarah|title=AR helmet startup Skully may have risen from the dead|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/19/ar-helmet-startup-skully-may-have-risen-from-the-dead/|accessdate=9 January 2018|publisher=Tech Crunch|date=19 September 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Locklear|first1=Mallory|title=A new company is trying to revive the Skully AR helmet|url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/09/19/new-company-trying-revive-skully-ar-helmet/|accessdate=9 January 2018|publisher=Engagdet|date=19 September 2017}} The new owners demonstrated a new prototype at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, with plans to begin shipping that summer.{{cite news|last1=Tarantola|first1=Andrew|title=Skully plans to ship its Fenix AR motorcycle helmet by summer|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/07/skully-fenix-ar-helmet-ship-summer-2018/|accessdate=15 January 2018|publisher=Engadget|date=7 January 2018}} The new company also promised to provide a helmet to anyone who had ordered one through the IndieGoGo campaign. The company sent confirmation emails on Friday September 21, 2018 to IndieGoGo campaign supporters that paid for the helmet in 2014.

As of March 2020, neither those who have been promised a helmet through the IndieGoGo campaign or have made new orders have received a helmet from the Company. In February 2020 the new web site was closed, the App Stores dropped the Skully app, the corporate phone number was turned off, and although the Facebook page still exists, no one answers questions. It seems that the second Skully company has also failed.{{Citation needed|date=April 2020}}

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Category:Motorcycle safety gear

Category:Wearable computers