Luna Systems raises €1.5 million to launch AI-powered safety cameras for bikes and motorcycles, targeting fear as the biggest barrier to urban cycling.
Luna Systems, an Irish startup developing AI-powered Advanced Rider Assistance Systems (ARAS) for cycling and motorcycles, has raised €1.5 million to bring a new generation of safety camera hardware to market.
Founded in 2020 at Dublin City University, the company draws inspiration from automotive ADAS technology, adapting similar safety capabilities for two-wheel mobility—where fatalities continue to rise despite growing adoption of cycling and e-bikes.
From E-Scooters to Two Wheels
Luna initially developed vision-based safety technology for shared e-scooters, helping operators demonstrate safer behaviour in competitive city tenders. But as the shared scooter market contracted, demand stalled.
“We built a strong product and deployed it in around a dozen cities, but only ever at innovation scale,” said Andrew Fleury, Luna’s chief executive. “When the market pulled back, we had to ask where this technology truly mattered.”
That reassessment led the company to cycling and motorcycling—segments where safety concerns remain a primary barrier to adoption. The new funding, Fleury said, allows Luna to move from pilots to real-world scale, launching its first consumer-facing camera this year and laying the groundwork for future B2B and OEM integrations.
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Fear as the Real Obstacle to Cycling
Luna’s mission is straightforward: make cycling safer and encourage more people to ride.
“Six in ten people are still too afraid to cycle in their area,” Fleury said, citing fear of traffic—particularly close passes by cars, buses, and trucks—as the dominant deterrent. “Technology can help bridge the gap until infrastructure catches up.”
Bringing ARAS to Bikes
While automotive ADAS systems continue to advance rapidly, comparable technology has lagged in cycling. Luna believes that will change.
“Just as ADAS became standard in cars, ARAS will become commonplace on bikes and motorbikes,” Fleury said, particularly for commuter cyclists, where fear is highest.
Until now, Luna has operated primarily as a software provider, offering Vision AI safety tools. The latest funding accelerates its transition into a full systems company. Planned 2026 launches include:
- A rear-facing AI camera for cyclists, providing real-time situational awareness via a connected smartphone app
- A dual-camera system designed for OEM integration in e-bikes and motorcycles, offering collision warnings, blind-spot detection, headway monitoring, and incident recording
The consumer product will launch later this year, sold directly and through selected European distributors. Dual-camera systems are expected to follow sooner in OEM partnerships.
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From Raw Video to Interpreted Risk
Luna’s system goes beyond passive recording. During rides, the rear-facing camera and app provide visual and audio alerts based on contextual risk—distinguishing between safe proximity and genuinely dangerous situations.
After a ride, users receive a safety analysis highlighting close passes, blind-spot exposure, and other risk events, mapped to specific locations. Faces and licence plates are automatically blurred to preserve privacy.
“It’s not just recording video,” Fleury said. “It’s interpreting it.”
Why Vision AI—And Why Now
Radar-based cycling products already exist, but Fleury argues they struggle in dense urban environments.
“They’re too noisy,” he said. “There’s always a vehicle behind you. Radar doesn’t understand lanes or relative motion. Vision does.”
Advances in edge computing are now making it feasible to run sophisticated AI models on bikes, where space, power, and cooling are limited. “That’s only recently become possible,” Fleury added.
A Deliberate Route to Market
The pivot from scooters to consumer cycling and OEM partnerships required significant adaptation. Validation cycles are longer, standards are stricter, and the industry moves cautiously—particularly among established manufacturers.
To build momentum, Luna opted for a direct-to-consumer launch rather than waiting for OEM timelines.
“Selling directly allows us to gather real-world usage, refine the experience, and build a safety record,” said Maria Diviney, the company’s chief operating officer. “Those learnings become invaluable when integrating with manufacturers.”
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Backing from Cycling-Focused Investors
The late seed round was led by Fundracer Capital and EIT Urban Mobility, with additional support from Enterprise Ireland.
Fundracer, founded in the Netherlands, is led by industry veterans René Wiertz (3T Cycling), Gerard Vroomen (Cervélo), and Andy Ording (Zipp Wheels). Its portfolio includes companies such as Specter, Blubrake, and Litelok.
“To grow cycling, everyone—not just experienced riders—needs to feel safe in busy urban environments,” said René Wiertz, Fundracer’s managing partner. He added that advances in Vision AI now offer advantages over radar, including the ability to identify infrastructure risk “blackspots” and inform safer route planning.
EIT Urban Mobility echoed that view. “Luna embodies our mission to make urban mobility safer,” said Peter Vest, investment and portfolio manager at the organisation.
The backing from Enterprise Ireland underscores national support for Luna’s ambition to scale internationally—at a time when cities are increasingly looking to technology to make active transport safer and more accessible.
