Motoblockchain provides to motorcycle’s owners the infrastructure to create the Motorcycle Digital Identity and to the buyers the possibility to access the history of the motorcycle they want to buy.
As part of their journey on BlockStart’s Acceleration Programme, as a startup developer of blockchain technology, they were looking to further develop their solution and for new opportunities for collaboration with end-user SMEs that could validate and help them improve their “MOBD: Motorcycle On Board Diagnostic connected system” blockchain solution.
We spoke with CEO Simone Brighina to know more about Motoblockchain and their participation in BlockStart.
In one paragraph, what is Motoblockchain?
Motoblockchain is the Digital Identity platform for motorcycles and riders: we are able to digitalize the full history of any motorcycles and to guarantee his immutability in time thanks to our applications, our MOBD IOT system mounted on the motorcycle and our Blockchain architecture.
The MOBD offers several functionalities designed to improve motorcycle’s safety levels, while our platform creates trustworthiness between buyers and sellers, so helping them in reaching the right sales price for motorcycles, modifications, and accessories.
Can you tell us how the idea for your startup began?
Simone Brighina, CEO and Co-Founder, is a motorcycle rider who loves to ride in the circuit with circuit tuned motorcycle. He is also passionate for technology and innovation, actually he worked for Fujitsu, Hewleet Packard, Intel and Oracle in his previous life as employee.
In 2014 he did a postgraduate in “Agile project and product development”: so he started applying lean start-up techniques and to work with Manuela Del Romano in order to find the disruptive idea able to join his two biggest passions: motorcycles and technology.
After several bad ideas, useful customers surveys, amazing sessions with focus groups, they were able to validate the need of the Motorcycle Digital Identity focus on solving the problem of asymmetry of information that always led to the lack of trustworthiness during the sales process.
What is Motoblockchain passionate about achieving?
Motoblockchain is passionate about improving the safety of the motorcycle’s rides, that consequently improve the safety of any person that could have an accident with a motorcycle. But our final goal is to give a motorcycle Digital Identity to any motorcycle in the market, so guarantying that a buyer is always paying the right price for a product he really knows, like if he was the original owner.
We want to live in a world where a motorcycle without a Digital identity cannot be sold, because people only are willing to buy trustable motorcycles form trustable owners.
Who are the team members and what backgrounds do you have?
Simone Brighina: CEO and Co-Founder. Business and entrepreneur, he is the mind of the project and leads it: he designs the roadmap, he creates partnership, he does fund raising and he is also a motorcycle circuit rider, so he is the first interested customer of Motoblockchain. He Worked in automotive & technology sectors for more than 20 years. He is a Blockchain enthusiast, motorcycle rider, used to go to circuit with a race motorcycle fully modified. In 2014 he took the Postgraduate in “Agile project and product development” with IEBS Business School In order to better lead development teams using Agile methodologies, in 2019 he took the PSM I and the PSPO I Certifications: he is now Professional Scrum Master and Professional Scrum Product Owner certified.
Manuela Del Romano: CMM and copywriter. She is a copywriter and marketing specialist, she is an expert in motorcycle blog content creation and in Social Network Marketing and Management. She will lead RRSS Marketing and Crowdfunding campaigns in Motoblockchain. She is founder of “Rame e Dintorni”. She is actually working on the BeBioCosmEthic project.
Carlos Callejo: CTO & Blockchain Architect. He is an expert in Blockchain development project leading a company with several developer able to cover different Blockchain and development technologies. He will be leading the Blockchain development and integration working closely with Alberto Carmona Sanchez as main developer Carlos Callejo is Academic Director of the Master in “Applied Blockchain: Programming, Taxation and Cryptoeconomics” at the European University Miguel de Cervantes de Valladolid. He is founder of the “Valladolid Blockchain Community”, where a cryptocurrency called VaCoin (VLL) has been created to encourage community participation. He is a meetup organizer for events aimed to make Blockchain known and understandable to everyone. He participated as speaker in several talks and events, such Crypto Plaza, in Valladolid and around Spain.
Diego Alejandro Markich: Electronic Engineer focus on IOT development. He is an engineer with almost 20 years of experience on the design and manufacture of highly complex electronic devices. He is specialized in the integration of wireless technologies and in the development of portable devices, as well as in design and manufacturing processes of housings for electronic devices in plastic and metal, for prototyping, pre-series and large-scale productions. Specialties: Firmware development for embedded systems. High complexity hardware design. Development of networks and communication systems and IoT. Planning of assembly lines for the manufacture of electronic.
Alessandro Buzzi: AWS Technology Provider. He is a project manager focused on web-based application delivery. He is an expert in business process reengineering and management of application development, as well as in CRM and Accounting system development. He is a digital signature specialist and a SiSS consultant. He is in charge to migrate our platform to AWS cloud and to maintain our cloud environment.
Can you tell us about the prototype you have developed with the support of BlockStart Acceleration Programme?
We are actually developing the Motorcycle Digital Identity architecture based on different software technologies: Web, Android application, iOS application, Blockchain. We are used to share our thoughts about the power of the Motorcycle Digital Identity we are developing with the aim to retrieve feedback from street and circuit riders, and, eventually, pivot our development. It always lead us to useful discussions where different interests bring on the table different points of view.
One day different interests coming from owners and mechanics ended up to the same point of view: the advantages of having an auto-generated motorcycle Digital Identity and the value that could be created by giving mechanics instant access to it. We started analysing the available technology and we discovered that this was only the starting point to create a safer and better future. And we ended up developing a new product to complement the Digital identity architecture, the MOBD: a HW IOT system connected to the OBD (On Board Diagnostic port) of the motorcycle.
It can be additionally bought by the customers who want to access additional functionalities focus on improving the Digital Identity data quality and the safety of their motorcycles.
It will include several functionalities, but at BlockStart we focused our effort on three main functionalities to be included in the MOBD MVP1:
- GPS Alarm & Tracking System for Stolen Motorcycles
- Constant connection to the mechanic with the motorcycle for remote failure detection
- Motorcycle Autonomous Digital Identity Creation: the motorcycle can autonomously send data to the Blockchain and contribute to the Digital Identity creation
What were you most excited about in taking part of BlockStart Acceleration Programme?
I was really exited to have being choose between more than 100 startups during the 2nd open call: on top of that being evaluated by an expert team is always a useful method to retrieve valuable feedback, and if things go well also a good method to receive support in the development process!
Some weeks before I received the news about being selected in Blockpool programme and I decided to leave my stable job as Solution Engineer in one of the top IT companies worldwide to be focus only on Motoblockchain development just in the middle of the COVID crisis.
After that I received the news about BlockStart and it was the perfect match that was giving more value and a great confirmation to the difficult choice I took: I was able to work with Blockpool for development of Application and Blockchain architecture, plus with BlockStart for the development of MOBD IOT connected system and the Blockchain integration. It was perfect!
Which were the major challenges you have faced during the development and market/fit validation of your prototype?
The first challenge was to find the funds for the development, because in BlockStart there is no advance payment like in Blockpool and other EU programmes.
The second one was to select the main functionalities able to create a valuable MVP but at the same time able to be developed from scratch in only four months.
Market validation was simple, because we designed the MOBD together with our own customers and at the time of proposing SME’s participation in BlockStart open call, they were all really fascinated by the combination of Blockchain Digital Identity and MOBD HW IOT.
What unique aspects does your company and the prototype you have developed have to offer to the market sectors/type of companies you wish to enter/sell and to the blockchain ecosystem in Europe, as a whole?
There is no other company focused on a vertical product designed specifically for the motorcycle sector, taking into account all modifications and tuning that must be included in the Digital Identity.
The MOBD is a step further and it collects useful functionalities available in single products in the market (GPS Alarm, eCALL) with innovative ones like the Autonomous Digital Identity and the remote failure detection.
The combination of the information uploaded manually by the user, with the one registered by the MOBD is creating a bunch of data that we plan to analyse with AI and ML, so creating the first intelligent database able to help users in improving their motorcycles, as well as able to guide manufacturers in producing better and safer products.
Is collaboration with SME adopters important for piloting your solution?
This is one of the points that I value the most in BlockStart: we are not only developing a product, we are going to test it with real users in the real world. There is no better feedback than this for a product that aims to brings in the market such high level of innovation. And this is happening only in BlockStart!
Where do you see your company in 5 years?
In 2026 Motoblockchain is in the market with Android & iOS apps, Website for customer interaction and Digital Identity transmission, MOBD V6 (probably) and more innovative products to come. We are already using NFT token for the motorcycles and SSI for the user wallet. We are also running on EBSI network and we are starting the collaboration with the EU government to use our technology for the management of the EU registered motorcycles.
We are present worldwide, with an extensive network of mechanics able to push the Digital Identity and MOBD adoption. We are working with manufactures that use our technology and that take advantage of all the information we can provide: we are also trying to foster the interchange of information between different competitors with the goal to improve the quality of all motorcycles form all brands putting customer first.
In 2026 you cannot sell a motorcycle without the Motoblockchain Digital Identity: no buyer is willing to pay for a motorcycle that has no certified history guaranteed by the Blockchain. If you have one, you probably end up dismounting it in single components and selling it for replacement, while regretting to have not created the Digital Identity some years ago.
Apply to our Open Call #3 for SME adopters!
One of the main objectives of BlockStart is to encourage collaboration between end-user SMEs and potential blockchain/DLT specialists, as technology providers, and to promote knowledge about the benefits and opportunities of these technologies. This collaboration is of upmost importance in the Pilot stage of the acceleration programme, where startups will have the chance to test their solutions together with SME adopters.
The 1st cut-off date of Open Call #3 for SME adopters to participate at the Ideation Kick-off will close on 6 July at 5pm CET (Brussels Time). Only SMEs operating in the fields of fintech, ICT and retail are eligible and should apply here. A 2nd cut-off date for SME adopters is expected for the end of the year, for SMEs participation at the Pilot stage, which will start in December 2021.
Selected SME adopters will benefit from up to €4,500 equity-free grants, with €1,500 being provided upon their participation at the Ideation Kick-off and €3,000 after completing the Pilot stage, together with the blockchain developers. Eligible SMEs will have the chance to implement blockchain/DLT pilot solutions together with blockchain startups, that have gone through BlockStart’s 3rd Acceleration Programme.
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