VICIS Inc. launched an online marketplace and broad commercial availability of the ZERO1, its advanced football helmet.
The ZERO1, which ranked first in 2017 NFL/NFLPA Helmet Laboratory Performance Testing, is now available for individual order and customization, helping protect football players on high school fields across the country.
Currently worn by players on more than half of the NFL teams and over 20 NCAA programs, the ZERO1 is now available to parents, coaches and high school athletes by visiting www.vicis.co. In addition to being fully customizable, each helmet will feature the VICIS Edge Shield by Oakley, designed exclusively for the ZERO1. Helmets will be delivered by July 31, 2018. VICIS has also launched financing options to make the helmet affordable for more players, and created a reference program so purchasers of the ZERO1 can provide discounts to others on their team.
“Though we started with NFL and NCAA players, our goal has always been to protect players of all ages,” said Dave Marver, VICIS CEO and co-founder. “We’ve launched our online store to make the world’s most technologically advanced helmet more widely available, particularly to parents, grandparents and boosters who want to better protect high school athletes.”
The latest funding round of $7 million, led by The Peregrine Group and Seattle Seahawk Russell Wilson, will allow VICIS to make further investments in new technologies that better protect young athletes.
“My experience wearing the ZERO1 this season has been exceptional. The custom fit and wide field of vision have allowed me to perform at my best,” Wilson said. “I invested in VICIS because I believe in our mission and I want to help all the kids playing sports have access to the best available technology.”
The ZERO1 is designed to reduce impact forces, leveraging a novel, multilayered structure built to provide improved impact absorption and a comfortable, anatomically optimized fit. Unlike traditional helmets that are limited by hard exterior shells, the outer shell of the ZERO1 yields upon impact like a car bumper.
“Football is a violent sport, so it’s important that we have access to the best protective equipment. The ZERO1 is a game changer – I believe the helmet will save the game of football,” said Doug Baldwin. “And starting now, the ZERO1 is not just available for NFL and NCAA players – you’ll soon be seeing it on high school fields across the country.”
VICIS has an advisory board made of former and current professional football players, coaches and doctors who are dedicated to making the sport safer. The board includes Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, and Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Roger Staubach, and Tony Dorsett.
