Boosted Boards: The Iconic eSkate Brand That Ended Too Soon
Above: The very first customers try out their boards in 2014! Credit: Boosted Boards.
The History of Boosted Boards
Boosted Boards was a company that revolutionised the electric skateboard industry by introducing high-performance, lightweight, and user-friendly electric longboards.
Founded in 2012 by Sanjay Dastoor, John Ulmen, and Matthew Tran while they were graduate students at Stanford University, the company started as a small project aimed at improving urban transportation. Their vision was to create an efficient, portable, and fun alternative to bikes and cars, particularly for short, last-mile commutes.
The company gained early recognition when it launched a Kickstarter campaign the same year, seeking funding for its first-generation electric skateboard. The campaign was a massive success, raising over $467,000—far exceeding its initial goal of $100,000. This overwhelming support demonstrated a clear demand for high-quality electric skateboards and allowed Boosted to move forward with production.
Innovation and Market Dominance
Boosted Boards set itself apart by developing a skateboard that was powerful yet intuitive. Their first-generation boards were belt-driven using either a single or dual-motor setup, the latter of which provided better torque and hill-climbing abilities compared to hub-motor competitors. With speeds reaching over 20mph and regen-braking, Boosted Boards quickly became the mainstream standard in the electric skateboard industry.
YouTuber Casey Neistat also played a crucial role in Boosted's early success. Throughout his main vlogging career (2015 - 2018) almost all of his vlogs featured him riding around New York on one of his many Boosted Boards. He became an advisor to the company which helped Dastoor and his team to develop the Boosted V2.
Over the years, the company released several models, improving on battery life, power, and ride quality. The Boosted Board V2, released in 2016, became particularly popular due to its refined remote control, improved range, and increased reliability.
The brand cultivated a passionate community of riders, including commuters, enthusiasts and content creators who showcased the boards on YouTube, Instagram and other channels. Facebook groups such as Boosted Board Riders NYC, Boosted Board Riders UK and Boosted Board Riders Melbourne grew in popularity and helped to bring riders together, organise group rides, diagnose issues, etc.
Later, in 2017, Dastoor handed the company over to Jeff Russakow who was challenged with maintaining the momentum that Boosted had created. As a seasoned CEO, Russakow understood what investors were looking for and was responsible for steering Boosted as they launched new products.
Expansion Challenges
Despite its popularity, Boosted faced several challenges. In 2018, the company released the Boosted Mini S, Mini X, Boosted Plus and flagship Stealth. The Mini boards expanded the product line beyond the traditional longboard format. However, these expansions required significant investment in manufacturing and logistics.
Furthermore, in mid-2019, Boosted launched its first and only electric scooter, the Boosted Rev. It was a premium, high-performance scooter with dual motors, a sturdy frame, and impressive hill-climbing ability. While the Rev was well-received for its quality and power, it came at a steep price of $1,599—far more expensive than most competitors.
Many fans believe Boosted should have focused solely on skateboards, refining and expanding their board lineup rather than venturing into scooters. However, investor pressure played a significant role in this decision, as they pushed the company to diversify its product offerings and compete in the growing electric scooter market... which is now worth approximately $30b at time of writing (early 2025).
In late 2019 and early 2020, financial troubles began to surface. Tariffs on Chinese goods, where Boosted’s boards and scooter were manufactured, significantly increased production costs. The company struggled with inventory and cash flow issues, ultimately leading to mass layoffs.
In March 2020, Boosted announced that it was ceasing operations and looking for buyers. The intellectual property and inventory were later acquired by the electric scooter company, Lime, leaving many fans disappointed as the brand effectively disappeared from the market.
Leftovers
Around the same time, Last Mile SF, which operates out of San Francisco, managed to acquire remaining stock of boards, scooters, spare parts and accessories. To help with this and the Boosted branding, they launched Boosted USA. This was a no-brainer reaction to the staff constantly being asked about the boards, availability of spare parts, servicing and more.
This gave Boosted owners access to the items they needed to keep their boards and scooters running. Due to Lime being the legal owners of Boosted's IP, Boosted USA were not permitted to manufacture anything; once their inventory was gone, it was gone. At time of writing, you are still able to buy some Boosted products. Take a look here
Boosted’s Legacy
Even though Boosted Boards is no longer in business, its impact on the electric skateboard industry is undeniable. The company pioneered many features that are now standard in premium electric skateboards. These include precise throttle control, high-quality belt drive systems and swappable battery packs (as found in the Boosted Mini S and Mini X). And there are still Boosted riders around the world that continue to keep their boards running thanks to third-party repair, spare part and battery replacement startups, such as Eboard Stuff, The Boosted Guys and XR General Hospital
See More
For those interested in the early days of Boosted Boards, a treasure trove of historical posts, updates, and insights can be found on the original Boosted Blog - This was updated as the V1 boards were being developed, so you can see a glimpse into the company’s early journey!
The Verge has also written a more elaborate article.
Watch all of Boosted's videos on their YouTube channel.
