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Aleck has announced the acquisition of Tocsen, the German maker of intelligent helmet-mounted crash sensors.
Tocsen’s management, product development, and administration teams will be integrated into the company, and Aleck says it is committed to continuing strong relations with Tocsen’s consumers and partners, including independent bike and snow sports retailers.
Tocsen’s headquarters will remain in Freiburg, Germany.
Following the acquisition, Aleck has also announced a redesign of the Aleck brand logo, which now incorporates the pink Tocsen viking.
A spokesperson for Aleck said: “The rebrand signifies a commitment to collective growth in product development and global sales with the mission to create products and services that make outdoor sports more immersive, social, and safe”.
Aleck was founded in 2018 by Stephen Catterson.
The brand aims to be the communication connection between families and friends at the resort.
Its flagship product, the Aleck 006, delivers wireless Hi-Fi audio and comms to any compatible snow helmet and is driven by the free Aleck app.
In North America, the brand is distributed in more than 120 REI stores, a leading outdoor equipment retailer.
Catterson, founder and CEO of Aleck, said: “We are excited to welcome Tocsen and its team to Aleck.
“This is a brand we have watched with admiration as they’ve brought their visionary product technology and well-designed support app to an impressive community of users throughout Europe.
“With complementary products that align perfectly with Aleck’s mission, this is a perfect union, and we look forward to working together to bring more innovative technology to the outdoor sports market.”
Tocsen was founded in 2019, by Alexander Schumacher, Andreas Botsch, and Malte Buttjer after a close friend suffered a broken neck while biking alone and was found unconscious by hikers.
This experience sparked the vision to create a smart sensor that could detect a fall and immediately alert a life-saving emergency response.
The first Tocsen crash sensor was launched in Germany via crowdfunding campaign and is now used by more than 30,000 cyclists and other outdoor athletes.
Tocsen’s crash sensor technology has also been integrated into the design of select uvex, Alpina and EKOÏ helmets.
Read more: Fara Cycling unveils new range of colours inspired by landscapes of Norway
Malte Buttjer, Tocsen co-founder and new CTO, said: “We are proud of what we’ve created with Tocsen and the community of first responders we’ve helped build to keep athletes safe.
“Joining Aleck is a natural next step for our growth, given their strong reputation in the outdoor sports market and established distribution channels throughout Europe and North America.
“The future looks bright, and we are excited to work with the Aleck team to bring our crash sensor technology to more users worldwide.”
Tocsen products are distributed in the UK by Ultra Sport Europe.
In the March edition of BikeBiz, Tocsen co-founder Andreas Botsch talked through the history of the brand, the core market for its products and plans for growth in 2023 and beyond.
To read the article in full, click here.
