Tozuda makes patented, non-electronic impact indicators that reveal when a helmet has absorbed a damaging force by changing from clear to red. Based in Philadelphia, the company has more than a decade of experience in head safety and designs its mechanical technology to integrate into new helmets or retrofit existing inventory. Its indicators can be tailored to different activation thresholds and respond to both linear and rotational acceleration.
2nd Skull, IncBorn from founder Federico Olivares’s 2010 determination to protect his son after a bicycle accident, Pittsburgh-based 2nd Skull makes thin protective skull caps and headgear designed to add impact protection beneath a helmet or worn alone. Its products use lightweight XRD® material that stays flexible during play but hardens under sudden pressure, and are made in the USA after testing at independent laboratories. The company’s headgear has also been developed for industrial workplaces, extending its original sports-safety idea beyond the field.PITTSBURGH, PA
Saturn SportsFounded by lifelong athletes who have experienced head injuries, Dayton-based Saturn Sports develops connected football equipment that monitors helmet fit in real time. Its platform tracks chinstrap tension and gives athletes immediate feedback when a helmet needs adjustment, while giving teams season-long visibility into fit and equipment use. The company’s work is aimed at making contact sports safer without taking athletes out of the game.CINCINNATI, OH
H.I.P. Head Impact PreventionFounded by former NFL linebacker Tim Johnson, H.I.P. Head Impact Prevention develops biomimetic helmets designed to distribute impact forces and protect the brain for soldiers, first responders and athletes. Its segmented, multi-layered design draws on structures found in ram horns, armadillo armor and woodpecker anatomy, with flexible joints that help move energy around and away from the head. The company participated in the NFL Helmet Challenge and holds a filed U.S. provisional application for its force-distribution helmet.VIENNA, OH
Team WendyFounded in Cleveland in 1997 as a memorial to Wendy Moore, Team Wendy makes head-protection systems for people working in defense, law enforcement, search and rescue, and adventure settings. The company began with ski helmets before turning its attention to protective gear for those who risk their lives, and today operates as an Avon Technologies plc company with more than 900 people. Its HEADSTRONG program pairs helmet education and hands-on evaluation with live ballistic testing, giving users a direct look at how the equipment performs.CLEVELAND, OH