CR8™ Debuts at mHUB
Here at Beyond Design we are designers, adventurers, creatives, and bikers. What started as a small spark of an idea has evolved into a company wide passion project. The CR8™ is our solution to urban cargo storage and it has finally begun to take shape this year. With our roots in Chicago, one of the best biking cities in the world, we are advocates for car alternative ways of transportation. Many of us are city dwellers that run errands and commute via bike and we wanted a product to transport our gear that wasn’t an unsecured milk crate or pricey rack accessory. Over the past few months we have finalized the design and engineering of the CR8™ and finally were able to introduce it to at mHUB’s 2nd Anniversary and Product Showcase and Demo Day last week.
The CR8™ was engineered with precision and designed to be intuitive for experienced and novice riders alike.
mHUB Founding Members
Beyond Design has been members of the manufacturing incubator since 2017 and we are continually impressed with the craftsmanship and creativity it produces. mHUB was founded with the goal of fostering Midwestern manufacturing growth and overall physical product innovation. Originally the Motorola prototyping center, the facility is 63,000 square feet of fabrication labs and co-working space.
Our team demonstrating CR8™’s functionality + features to attendees.
Their anniversary and Product Showcase Day was filled with keynotes, startup pitches, and networking. It was the perfect place to debut the CR8™ next to 30 other startups and new products. Our team joined other visionaries, innovators, and entrepreneurs working to carry the region’s legacy as the engine for U.S. manufacturing. With over 1000 attendees we got to put the CR8™ in the hands of real riders and get genuine feedback. Governor J.B. Pritzker even made an appearance and walked the floor. We think it made a great first impression and we are reassured with the CR8™’s purpose and design.
Some of the other startups included Modobag, PedalCell (seen above with Governor Pritzker), Luna Lights, Farmbot, Pepper, and Cat Matter (to name a few).
The Carry-On That Carries You
Modobag was zooming in between the mHUB aisles on their motorized, ridable suitcases. The luggage raised nearly $800,000 on Indiegogo and has been shipping out the product to backers since January 2017. “Modobag combines the convenience of a standard suitcase with the innovation of personal transportability, GPRS-GSM tracking, and dual USB charging ports to create the world’s only motorized, smart and connected carry-on that gets you to your destination three times faster than the average walking speed.” Hitting 4 MPH indoors and 7 MPH outdoors, the luggage is perfect for airports and college campuses, travels up to 6 miles on a single charge, and includes a power outlet. Modobag also features a mobile app that tracks the bag and gives proximity alerts ensuring your belongings are close by.
Your Motion. Unlimited Power.
Fellow bikers at PedalCell offer a unique data platform and power source for cyclists. As we have seen within our CR8 research, car-alternatives like bikes have seen a surge of growth. Bikes are being designed safer, faster (e-bikes), and smarter (connected). PedalCell’s CadenceX Platform is a power source that converts the rider’s motion into electricity through a mechanical system as well as several other smart features. The platform amplifies the overall biking experience, increases safety with anti-collision sensors, and connects to other smart devices.
Personal Counter-Top Sous Chef
We ran into the familiar faces of Pepper at mHUB – two weeks prior we met the startup at the Home and Housewares Show. Pepper is a connected cooking and nutrition platform with built-in Alexa that guides your cooking, specifically with weighing technology that assists with calculating, converting, and logging ingredients and recipes. The Pepper app also integrates with the scale and collects recipes from their foodie community. Overall the Pepper platform helps you understand what you eat with precision and accuracy.
Follow Our Journey
Please continue to follow our journey on Instagram and Twitter and stay tuned for the CR8™’s website in early spring. We are excited for our official launch on Kickstarter June 1st and hope you continue to ride with us! To be added to our mailing list and for more information please email us here.
Top
