The Maps App for Micromobility: How Arjun Rai is Building Helmet to Improve Safety and Structure for E-Scooter Riders
Whether it's electric scooters weaving through San Francisco traffic or e-bikes zipping past subway stations in New York, micromobility transport options have become an essential part of modern urban infrastructure, offering convenient, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional transportation.
By 2028, there are expected to be 129 million electric scooters on roads globally, with the entire micromobility industry projected to reach $340 billion by 2030, according to McKinsey. Yet despite its growth, the industry remains a legislative "wild west," with little regulation, licensing, or safety infrastructure.
Having driven nearly 30,000 miles across four electric scooters of his own over the last 10 years between San Francisco and New York City, Arjun Rai the co-founder of RideHelmet.com, experienced this disorganization firsthand. He constantly found himself unsure of the best routes to take on his e-scooter or the safest place to park, and was unable to track his miles, routes, battery usage etc. easily.
After exiting his previous startup in the marketing tech industry, Arjun wanted his next venture to fall at the intersection of purpose, passion, and profit. So he set out to build RideHelmet.com and solve safety and navigation for last-mile electric vehicle users (aka PEVs or Personal Electric Vehicles).
Introducing Helmet: Safe navigation, parking and insurance for micromobility
Helmet is an all-in-one application built specifically for electric scooter, e-bike, unicycle, and skateboard users (they've even seen now electric roller blades). The app makes it easy for users to navigate to their destinations while automatically avoiding high-crime areas and steep hills if they have that option turned on.
Unlike major mapping apps, such as Google Maps and Apple Maps, which are designed for traditional transport methods and prioritize advertising local businesses over specialized routing needs, Helmet focuses exclusively on the requirements of micromobility users. Think “All Trails app for PEV riders.” The app uses real-time safety insights and crowd-sourced parking activity to identify the safest parking spots for personal e-scooters, and optimizes its GPS for manageable riding and crime-aware routing.
Alongside becoming a staple of micromobility transport, Helmet is aiming to partner with city governments (such as San Fransisco government currently) and regulators to bring much-needed structure to the micromobility space. In the long run, Arjun and his co-founder aim for Helmet to become the "DMV for micromobility," with proprietary insurance products, risk-based premium pricing, and digital vehicle licensing to help riders navigate the future of electrified micromobility.
Despite only launching five weeks ago, Helmet has already begun building its community of micromobility users, with riders actively using the app and providing feedback through Helmet’s Instagram community. Arjun is currently expanding this base through grassroots marketing efforts, including street interviews and soon "coffee club style raves" at bicycle shops across the city for PEV enthusiasts.
Arjun's advice for fellow founders
Throughout his experience founding multiple startups, Arjun has found that the best paths to growth are often unconventional. He encourages founders to look beyond traditional marketing methods and "try everything. Start now and don't get caught up in anything specific." At Helmet, for example, Arjun is holding off on any paid advertising to spark initial growth and instead pursuing government partnerships and organizing in-person community events.
A resource that influenced Arjun's perspectives on early-stage marketing is Gabriele Weinberg’s Traction, which outlines how founders can test multiple acquisition methods to identify the best for their business.
To learn more about Arjun’s journey building Helmet, you can follow him on LinkedIn and visit Ridehelmet.com.
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