Meet the startup making motorcycles smarter (and safer) from British Columbia

When entrepreneur Ivan Ting decided to launch his latest venture, he could have set up shop anywhere. Instead, the Vancouverite, who has roots in Hong Kong, chose British Columbia for the home base of his innovative motorcycle safety tech start-up, Startec Dynamics.

What was important to Ting was finding the right people to do research and development on an innovative new product he was developing.

“I [did the] research to see where I can find the right people and [an easy connection to] Asia Pacific… [and found that] B.C. is a very reasonable area for me to set up this company. I easily found qualified engineers and the salary is reasonable,” Ting explains. That, plus having a home base that reaches markets in Asia directly.

That reach was critical for the company, says Ting, who had worked for more than two decades in the motorcycle industry. 

Startec Dynamic’s flagship product is a smart crash detection and communication system, which is installed directly on motorcycles, called the Startec Intelligent™ Smart Safety and Security System. It tracks speed, impact, location and driving behaviour and, if a crash occurs, the system immediately pings both family members and insurance providers.

That detail is critical in preventing deaths in countries where emergency response can be delayed, says Ting. 

In Taiwan, more than 800 people per year die from motorcycle accidents. In Indonesia, that number is a staggering 20,000. Currently, Startec Intelligent™ is being tested in Cambodia, where 95 percent of hospitals will ask for upfront payment before they start surgery. 

So, in short, the technology could save lives.

“So let’s say if I have a motorcycle accident, and I get sent to the hospital. The hospital will first try to confirm, ‘Are you able to pay?’ Other developing countries face a very similar situation,” Ting says. “Now they know within the first minutes. That changes everything.”

While the product’s effects are beneficial for Asian markets, where commuting via motorcycle is more prevalent, B.C. proves itself as a strong base for developing and scaling the technology.

“The tax is a little bit high,” Ting admits with a laugh, but the infrastructure, the legal system (which is similar to Hong Kong’s, Ting says) and the access to skilled people make it worthwhile for the start-up.

“B.C. gives us the talent we need, plus a direct line into Asia where the market is,” he says.