Segway Inc.

Segway Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Personal transportation devices, electric vehicles
Founded	July 1999 (1999-07)
Founder	Dean Kamen
Headquarters	Bedford, New Hampshire , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	James Norrod (former President and CEO)
Products	Segway PT, Segway miniPro, electric scooters, e-bikes, autonomous lawn mowers, power stations
Owner	Ninebot Inc.
Parent	Ninebot Inc.
Website	www.segway.com

Segway Inc. is a manufacturer of two-wheeled personal mobility devices, originally American but now owned by a Chinese company, recognized primarily for its Segway PT and Segway miniPro lines. Established in 1999 by entrepreneur Dean Kamen, the company’s name is a play on the word "segue."

Initially based in Bedford, New Hampshire, Segway focused on specialized sectors including law enforcement, military installations, warehouses, corporate environments, and industrial facilities. The firm held significant patents on self-balancing transporter technology, although some of these patents have since expired. After being acquired by the Chinese enterprise Ninebot in 2015, Segway redirected its efforts toward consumer products such as the miniPro.

Origins

Dean Kamen submitted his initial patent application for a self-balancing mobility device on February 23, 1993; this patent was granted in 1997 for the iBOT—a self-stabilizing wheelchair developed through DEKA, Kamen’s company founded in 1982. While this particular patent has expired, Segway continues to hold other valid patents related to similar technology.

The iBOT project commenced in 1990 with working prototypes emerging by 1992. In 1994, DEKA collaborated with Johnson & Johnson to produce the iBOT; during this partnership, Johnson & Johnson financed research and development while DEKA retained rights for non-medical uses. The iBOT was publicly introduced on Dateline NBC in June 1999.

Independent years

Segway Inc. was established in July 1999 to explore non-medical applications of self-balancing technology and launched its signature two-wheeled personal transporter, the Segway PT, in December 2001 with deliveries starting early the following year.

At introduction, the company aimed for annual sales of 40,000 units and projected between 50,000 and 100,000 units within the first thirteen months. However, only about 6,000 units had sold by 2003, increasing to roughly 23,500 by September 2006 when all units were recalled due to a software defect that could cause riders to fall. By March 2009, Segway Inc. announced it had shipped over 50,000 units.

Despite modest sales figures, investors remained hopeful; founder Dean Kamen anticipated the Segway would transform transportation similarly to how automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages. Venture capitalist John Doerr predicted Segway would become the fastest company to reach $1 billion in revenue. Nevertheless, by 2007 total sales stood at approximately 30,000 units and the company had invested about $100 million developing the Segway PT without disclosing profitability.

In 2009, Segway collaborated with General Motors to create a prototype two-seat electric vehicle named Project P.U.M.A., which debuted at the New York International Auto Show. Its successor concept, called EN-V project, was showcased at Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

James Norrod served as President and CEO from April 2005 until January 2010 and oversaw the sale of Segway Inc. to a consortium led by British entrepreneur Jimi Heselden in December 2009. Following this transaction, founder Dean Kamen departed from the company. Tragically, Heselden passed away ten months later after accidentally driving a Segway off a cliff.

In February 2013, Summit Strategic Investments purchased Segway for $9 million with intentions to broaden its product lineup and expand its global reach. In September 2014, Segway lodged a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission accusing Chinese firms including Ninebot and Shenzhen INMOTION Technologies of patent violations. Two years afterward, on April 1, 2015, Summit sold Segway for more than $75 million.

Subsidiary of Ninebot

On April 1, 2015, Ninebot Inc., a Beijing-based startup specializing in transportation robotics and supported by $80 million in investments from Xiaomi and Sequoia Capital, acquired Segway.

In May 2016, Segway introduced the miniPRO, a compact self-balancing scooter designed specifically for the personal mobility market.

Although there were intentions by June 2018 to relocate manufacturing from Bedford, New Hampshire to China, Segway continued to produce the majority of its products at its New Hampshire facility. Nonetheless, on July 15, 2020, Ninebot discontinued the production of the Segway PT and terminated the employment of 21 workers at the Bedford plant.

Shift Toward E-bikes and Strategic Investment in Sur-Ron

In 2019, Segway made substantial investments in Sur-Ron, a private enterprise focused on electric bicycles. The collaboration led to the development of ebikes and off-road motorcycles. Their joint effort was showcased at SEMA 2019 with the launch of the Segway dirt e-bike models x260 and x160, signaling a strategic move toward broadening their electric mobility product range.

Autonomous Lawn Mower

Segway expanded into the robotic lawn care sector in 2021 by releasing Navimow, an autonomous mower that employs GPS technology to function without the need for boundary wires. In January 2025, the company unveiled its advanced X3 mower model, further diversifying its lineup of intelligent outdoor equipment.

Products

Segway-Branded Products

• Segway i2 SE (professional-grade self-balancing scooter suited for warehouse environments)
• Segway x2 SE (durable self-balancing scooter designed for rough terrain)
• Segway SE 3 (three-wheeled motorized standup scooter intended for professional applications)
• Segway Robot (autonomous robot derived from the Segway mini plus platform)
• Segway Drift W1 (self-balancing rollerblades)

Ninebot by Segway-Branded Products

• Self-Balancing Vehicles:
  • Ninebot by Segway E+ (general-purpose self-balancing scooter)
  • Ninebot by Segway miniPro (compact model featuring a knee control bar)
  • Ninebot S and S+ (2019 releases similar to miniPro; S+ is larger)
  • Segway S2 Ninebot
• Electric Unicycles:
  • Ninebot One S2 (most recent generation)
  • Ninebot One E+ (previous version)
• Electric Kick Scooters:
  • Ninebot by Segway ES series (ES1/ES2/ES4 with optional external battery)
  • Ninebot by Segway Max and F series (F20A/F30/F40)
  • Segway Air T15E, P100SE, P65E, D18E/28E/38E
  • Segway F2 E II/Pro E II, F3/F3 E/F3 Pro E, F65
  • Segway F25I/25E II/30E/40I/40E
  • Segway GT series (GT1/1E/2/2P, GT3/GT3 E/GT3 Pro)
  • Segway E-SK8 Shredder Kit (conversion kit transforming a scooter into a four-wheel vehicle)
  • Additional models: ES1LD, E45E/25E/22E, Max G30 variants, Ninebot F2/F2 Pro, Max G2/G3/G3 E
  • Kids Electric Scooters: C2/C2 Lite/C2 Pro and ZING lineup (C8/C10/C15E/C20/A6/E8/E10)
  • Segway ZT3 Pro and Pro E
• Go-Karts:
  • Ninebot Gokart Kit/Kit2, Mecha Kit, Go Kart Pro 2
• E-Bikes:
  • Ninebot by Segway Urban series A200/A200P/A300 Delivery/B100/B200 sharing e-bikes
  • Segway Xafari
• Electric Motorcycle:
  • Segway Xyber
• Mopeds:
  • Models include E110 SE/S, E125S; forthcoming models E150S/E250S; plus E300SE and B110S

Segway Navimow-Branded Products

• Navimow i105/i110
• Navimow H800-VF/H1500-VF/H3000-VF
• Navimow X3 15/30/50/90

Segway Powersports

• All-Terrain Vehicles:
  • Snarler AT6 S/L, UT10 Crew P/S, Fugleman UT10 E/X, UT10 P/S, UT6 P/M/S
  • Villain SX10 WP/P and Super Villain SX20

Power Station

• Portable Power Stations:
  • Segway Cube 1000 and Cube 2000
  • Segway Lumina 500
  • Battery Pack BTX1000
• Solar Panels:
  • Segway SP100 and SP200

See also

• Segway Fest, a yearly gathering for enthusiasts and users of Segway PTs
• Segway polo, a competitive sport involving Segway PTs as a substitute for horses