ZULU, an Indonesian startup that specializes in innovative and functional wearable tech for the urban commuter, recently confirmed that it has managed to raise an undisclosed amount of funding from regional unicorn Gojek. Presently, Gojek is the wearable tech startup’s only investor, though it is understood that the startup is also making preparations for a Series A funding round. The investment in ZULU by Gojek is the unicorn’s first such endeavour in Indonesia’s consumer goods space. According to Yusuf Syaid, ZULU’s chief technology officer and co-founder, the undisclosed investment from Gojek will enable the wearable tech startup to further expand its current team roster, as well as for launching stealth projects in the near future.
ZULU, which operates on the Lazada e-commerce platform, claims that it is a tech startup that provides innovative yet practical wearable tech products that are aimed at improving the commuting experiences of city dwellers. Some of the startup’s goals are to address the challenges that everyday commuters face when travelling in densely populated urban areas such as noise pollution, air pollution and traffic safety. Walking the talk, the company is the first in Indonesia to introduce a Bluetooth-enabled smart motorcycle helmet to the market. Its smart helmets all come equipped with in-built Bluetooth-enabled speaker systems that eliminate the need for hands-on operation, thus helping motorcyclists to improve road safety. The smart helmets are activated by voice commands, either through Google Assistant or Siri, and also provide GPS audio navigation, audio and music listening and hands-free voice calls. The helmets are also quite durable as well as they are resistant to water and rain, and some of the helmets even come with anti-fog goggles for better visibility and protection for riders. The startup also recently introduced an anti-pollution premium filtering mask that it says is capable of filtering out almost 99% of dust, gas, bacteria and other harmful elements through its triple filter technology.
According to Yusuf Syaid, the tech startup and Gojek are actually well-acquainted with each other, as they had both collaborated together since 2018, which was when ZULU managed to secure funding from the Indonesian unicorn company. Notably, Yusuf said that ZULU was part of the Gojek rebranding campaign whereby the startup assumed responsibility over the production, quality control and delivery of the unicorn company’s driver-partner jackets. Additionally, ZULU also developed radio frequency identification-enabled smart barcodes that were used in Gojek’s driver-partner apparel such as helmets and jackets in an effort to digitize its internal supply chain.
The investment from Gojek will enable ZULU to recruit more creative talent as it seeks to build its brand further. It is understood that the wearable tech startup is actively searching for enterprising and innovative individuals and entrepreneurs to join its ranks to deliver distinctive solutions and experiences for Indonesia’s tech-savvy urbanites. Even though details about the investment and the startup’s future goals are scarce, the wearable tech company, which was founded by Yusuf Syaid and Nathan Roestandy, has said that it will use the funds wisely to recruit more talent and launch stealth projects.
