StrongArm Technologies

What it does

StrongArm sells the SafeWork Platform, built around a wearable sensor worn on the upper back. The sensor tracks movements associated with musculoskeletal injury, such as bending, twisting and reaching, and gives the wearer real-time feedback. Workers get a personal safety score and managers get dashboards on ergonomic risk across shifts, teams and tasks. The company also offers training programs and, in April 2024, introduced a touchscreen version of its sensor. Its earlier products included a passive back-support exoskeleton.

Who it is for

StrongArm targets manual handling work in warehouses, distribution centers, logistics, manufacturing, construction and health services. Its focus is ergonomics rather than vehicles or PPE. It is based in New York.

How it is deployed

Workers check out a sensor at the start of a shift and return it at the end. StrongArm says no lengthy software installation is needed at the site. Programs of this type depend on daily compliance, charging and device management, and on workers accepting continuous movement measurement, so consult worker representatives early.

Notable public customers and coverage

StrongArm raised a $50 million Series B led by Drive Capital in January 2022, which it described as the largest round raised by an industrial safety wearables company. Customers named in that announcement included Walmart, Albertsons Companies, Toyota, Lineage Logistics, Merck Animal Health and Metcash. Walmart publicly described its wearable safety program with StrongArm in May 2021. The company has claimed a 45% year-over-year injury reduction for customers and says the platform is "proven to reduce injuries up to 89%"; both are vendor claims.

Things to ask in an evaluation

• What share of workers wear the device every shift after the first three months at comparable sites?
• How are individual safety scores used, and can they influence discipline or pay?
• What is the device lifecycle, and who handles charging, cleaning and losses?
• How was the injury reduction measured, against which baseline, and across how many sites?
• Can ergonomic risk data flow into your EHS system or ergonomics program?
• What happens to the devices and data if the program ends?