High-tech football helmet maker Vicis is a runaway leader in a new ranking of the key piece of equipment by the National Football League and the NFL Players Association. Vicis helmets took the top three spots in the annual Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results in which helmets are assessed by independent experts, measuring the ability of the equipment to reduce the severity of impacts to the head. The study, in its sixth year, featured more than 25 different helmets approved for use in the upcoming NFL season, and aims to help players make more informed decisions about which gear they… Read More
Inside the lobby of Vicis‘ headquarters in Seattle this week, floor-to-ceiling images on the walls showed young football players wearing the company’s high-tech helmet. A portrait of former Seattle Seahawks star Doug Baldwin loomed behind a reception desk. The slogan “Protect the Athlete, Elevate the Game” was stenciled next to a lighted display case with two helmets. But it was unusually quiet. Not much work was getting done. That’s because Vicis recently furloughed a majority of its 110-person team, leaving a skeleton crew of 12 employees this week. Now the fate of the company is in the air. The one-time… Read More
The Fisherman’s Terminal in Seattle might be the last place you’d expect to find a company that is aiming to keep NFL players safer on the field. But nestled in between the fishing vessels and seafood wholesalers is where Seattle startup Vicis is making hundreds of high-tech football helmets that will be worn by NFL and NCAA players this upcoming season. GeekWire toured the recently-opened 3,000 square-foot production facility that is pumping out hundreds of Vicis’ ZERO1 helmets which are designed to mitigate the forces thought to cause concussions. The production facility has the feel of a car manufacturing plant mixed with a… Read More
