What SoftWheel does

SoftWheel is an Israeli technology company founded in 2011 that develops advanced in-wheel suspension technology targeting personal mobility applications. The company designs proprietary suspension systems integrated directly into the wheel hub, replacing conventional suspension architectures to reduce vehicle weight, improve ride comfort, and enable new vehicle form factors. Its core technology has applications across personal mobility devices including wheelchairs and broader transportation platforms, representing a mechanical engineering solution rather than a software-driven offering. The company is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, and operates with a team of 11–50 employees.

The company operates a B2B model, targeting wheelchair manufacturers and automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers rather than end consumers. Over its operating history, SoftWheel has secured strategic capital from major Japanese automotive parts suppliers—NSK, Musashi Seimitsu Industry, and Mitsubishi Corporation—indicating a go-to-market strategy reliant on partnership and licensing through established Tier-1 distribution channels. The company has also drawn non-dilutive funding from the BIRD Foundation (US–Israel binational R&D) and the Israel Innovation Authority, plus seed capital from RAD BioMed Accelerator. Total disclosed funding exceeds $160 million across multiple rounds between 2011 and 2019. Leadership consists of co-founders Daniel Barel (CEO) and Ahishay Sardes (CTO), with Hai Aviv as CFO/COO and Limor Raz as VP HR.

SoftWheel's current commercialization status is uncertain based on available data. The firm's website (softwheel.technology) currently returns only a loading/verification page, suggesting limited public-facing activity. With the last disclosed financing round in November 2019 and no subsequent public strategic activity, the company has shown no material moves in roughly six years. The absence of disclosed revenue, recent leadership changes, product launches, or follow-on financing raises material concerns about commercial traction and operational continuity.

Name

SoftWheel

Website

https://softwheel.technology

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SoftWheel is an Israeli technology company that develops proprietary in-wheel suspension systems for personal mobility devices, partnering with global automotive suppliers to integrate its mechanical technology into wheelchairs and broader transportation platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobility Equipment / Wheelchair Suspension Technology

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (33633), Motor Vehicle Steering and Suspension Components (except Spring) Manufacturing (336330)

SIC

Ball & Roller Bearings (3562), Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)

akta.pro primary industry

Wheel Hubs, Bearings & Knuckles (Hubs/Bearings/Spindles/Knuckles) (IMACAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Stabilizer & Anti-Roll Systems (Sway Bars/Links) (IMACAIAM)

Keywords

• In-wheel suspension
• Wheelchair mobility
• Suspension technology
• Mobility devices
• Automotive suspension

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations

Core offering

SoftWheel is a technology company that develops advanced in-wheel suspension technology designed to enhance personal mobility. The proprietary suspension mechanism absorbs impact and improves stability for end users, with applications spanning manual wheelchairs and broader transportation/automotive segments. The firm licenses and supplies its technology to mobility-device OEMs and automotive partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SoftWheel In-Wheel Suspension System

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bose Corporation: Bose famously developed an electromagnetic in-wheel suspension system for automotive applications over several decades before discontinuing the program. It is the most direct historical analog to SoftWheel's in-wheel suspension approach and illustrates both the technical feasibility and commercial difficulty of the category.
• BWI Group: BWI Group is a specialist chassis and suspension supplier that develops advanced suspension technologies for global OEMs. It is comparable to SoftWheel as a focused suspension-technology competitor pursuing premium automotive platforms, though at larger scale and with broader product breadth.
• Magic Wheels: Magic Wheels manufactures wheelchair wheels with integrated suspension/anti-roll mechanisms, directly overlapping with SoftWheel's personal-mobility product focus. It is the most direct small-scale peer in the wheelchair and personal-mobility wheel category where SoftWheel originated.

Broad incumbents

• NSK Ltd. NSK is a global leader in wheel bearings and steering systems and is a SoftWheel strategic investor ($10M round, 2017). As a Tier-1 incumbent in wheel-hub-adjacent technologies, NSK is both a partner and the most credible internal-development threat to SoftWheel's IP.
• Musashi Seimitsu Industry: Musashi Seimitsu is a Japanese manufacturer of automotive powertrain and suspension components and led SoftWheel's $25M round in 2018. It is comparable as a Tier-1 suspension/drivetrain incumbent that has chosen to invest in rather than solely develop in-wheel suspension technology.
• ZF Friedrichshafen AG: ZF is one of the largest global suppliers of automotive chassis and suspension systems, including active and semi-active suspension products. It represents the established Tier-1 incumbent ecosystem that SoftWheel must either partner with or displace to win automotive volume.
• Continental AG: Continental supplies a broad portfolio of automotive suspension, damping, and chassis components and has active R&D in wheel-integrated systems. As a broad incumbent it competes for the same OEM design slots that SoftWheel targets, but with vastly greater resources and incumbency advantages.
• Tenneco (now part of Apollo / DRiV): Tenneco's DRiV business was a major global ride-performance and suspension supplier (Monroe, Rancho brands). It is comparable as a Tier-1 suspension incumbent whose damping and suspension products overlap with the function SoftWheel integrates into the wheel.

Emerging players

• Protean Electric: Protean Electric develops in-wheel electric motors for passenger and commercial vehicles, sharing SoftWheel's strategic bet that wheel-integrated architectures will displace centralized drivetrains. The two companies are complementary rather than direct substitutes but compete for the same OEM mindshare around wheel-integrated mobility.
• Elaphe Propulsion Technologies: Elaphe is a Slovenia-based developer of in-wheel motor platforms for EVs. Like SoftWheel it is an emerging European/adjacent player pursuing the in-wheel architecture thesis for next-generation vehicles, making it a thematic peer in the wheel-integrated mobility category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/softwheelltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoftWheel