Lumen Secures €5m Funding for Smart Glasses Aimed at Assisting the Visually Impaired

Romanian startup .lumen has recently announced the launch of a €5 million funding round, with €1 million of that amount being made available on the crowd-sourcing site SeedBlink. This funding comes on the heels of .lumen successfully raising €4 million from the European Innovation Council (EIC) and Venture to Future Funds. The primary goal of this funding is to replicate the main features of a guide dog using autonomous driving technology integrated into smart glasses designed for the visually impaired.

Traditionally, the training of guide dogs has been a costly and time-consuming process, with last year alone seeing €500 million spent on training just 2,000 guide dogs. With only 28,000 guide dogs worldwide, the demand for alternative solutions to assist the visually impaired is evident. .lumen's innovative approach aims to address this need by developing smart glasses, known as the Glasses, that mimic the commands and actions of a guide dog.

The Glasses utilize a proprietary haptic interface that replicates the physical guidance provided by a guide dog. For instance, if a guide dog typically guides its handler by pulling on their hand, the .lumen device achieves a similar effect by gently "pulling" the user's head in the desired direction. This groundbreaking technology has undergone rigorous testing, involving feedback from over 300 blind individuals across nearly 30 countries.

At the core of the Glasses lies the Pedestrian Autonomous Driving AI (PAD AI) technology, a sophisticated self-driving software with broad applications beyond assisting the visually impaired. This technology has the potential to revolutionize various sectors, including delivery robotics, augmented reality (AR), and other dual-use scenarios. .lumen's strategic roadmap outlines plans for a limited-series launch in Q4 2024, followed by entry into the US market in Q4 2025, with a target of selling 10,000 units by the end of 2026.

Cornel Amariei, the CEO and founder of .lumen, shared his personal motivation behind the venture, stating, "Growing up in a family with disabilities, I saw firsthand how technology can transform lives and how much is still needed. I founded .lumen to help people, and on the way, I found that we can do so much more. We're opening this round to everyone, not just institutional investors, because we want more people to be part of our story."

Venture to Future Fund (VFF) has shown confidence in .lumen's vision, with Chairman of the Board Matej Říha expressing enthusiasm for the transformative potential of the technology. Similarly, Ionut Patrahau, Managing Partner at SeedBlink, emphasized the significance of supporting .lumen's innovative work, highlighting the positive impact it has on improving the lives of those in need. The collaboration between .lumen and its investors underscores a shared commitment to driving positive change through technology.