PROVUU: The Venture Leader Mobile creating AR snow goggles for enhanced visibility and safety

24.01.2025 10:00, Rita Longobardi

Meet Gabriel Iobbi, co-founder of PROVUU. The startup develops outdoor wearable technology with AR snow goggles that offer enhanced visibility in all weather conditions. In March, Gabriel will join nine other innovators on a business development and investor roadshow in Barcelona.

Name: Gabriel Iobbi
Location: Basel, Switzerland
Nationality: USA
Graduated from: Imperial College London
Job title: Co-founder
Number of employees: 3
Money raised: CHF 150k
Can you tell us who your product or solution helps, and how?
It's hard to ski when you can't see. Poor visibility can ruin a winter experience, create risk for potential injuries, and decrease revenues from lifts/rentals Our augmented reality (AR) snow goggles offer enhanced visibility in all conditions, from shadow or cloudy to snowy weather. PROVUU technology can offer the opportunity to enjoy their winter sports safely no matter the conditions.

What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
At PROVUU, we are revolutionizing the snow goggles market valued at USD 900 million. We intend to become a leader in the growing premium (>USD 200) goggle segment. Our vision technology has applications beyond skiing and snowboarding to other outdoor wearable products for mountaineering, search & rescue, motocross and more.   

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
Inspiration can sometimes knock you directly on the head. This was the case one day carving downhill in a hanging fog when a wipeout from a hidden mogul resulted in a concussion. Thus began the search for the mystery terrain lurking beneath our boots.

What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how do you think it will help you achieve your vision?
We hope that Venture Leaders will be a great opportunity to network with investors and technology partners. Our goal is to get the MVP ready for the first product launch so that people can enjoy more days on the mountain.
 

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What are your team’s key achievements to date?
PROVUU has granted US & EU patents that combine capabilities from computer vision cameras, image processing, and augmented reality displays. We have built functional prototypes ready for testing on the slopes. Most recently we’ve seen exciting traction connecting with a target audience on our social media channel. The latest Instagram reel has gotten 1 million organic views, over 25k profile interactions (follows, likes, saves), and generated a steady waitlist demand.

Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
Our drive is to develop a product we would want to use while following our core design principles: safety, simplicity, and versatility. The product is intended to feel seamless for everyday use, so nothing gets in the way of experiencing the perfect line.

What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
Having the right partners is the catalyst for success and being ambitious in your goals. You can never guess what's possible until you try.

What is your favorite productivity hack or tool and why?
There’s no substitute for going out and testing your product hands-on with customers. This is when you challenge any assumptions and learn what really counts. It's not a typical day at the office when concept testing and gathering field data during a whiteout storm in the Alps. Fortunately, crowds are not really a problem on the mountain during the test days.

What was your dream job when you were a child?
I’ve always been curious. My passion is problem solving and I've spent a career in product development for life-saving medical devices. Now I want to apply those skills to my love for the outdoors.