A technology designed to protect athletes from traumatic brain injuries has received a round of funding that will help get its retrofitted helmets onto fields faster.
A syndicate of angelMD members, among an investment group focused on the future of healthcare, invested an undisclosed amount in Windpact, a maker of sports helmet technology that aims to improve safety for athletes on the field.
Windpact’s patented technology, which comes amid a number of other products that have bubbled up in recent years in an effort to tackle the high incidence of concussions among athletes, is unique because its padding system is designed to retrofit existing helmets and other protective gear, rather than force teams and other organizations to invest in all new equipment.
In February, Windpact was one of three startups picked by the National Football League in its second annual 1st and Future startup competition. It won in the “materials that protect the athlete” category and was awarded $50,000.
Windpact is led by former NFL Pro Bowler Shawn Springs, who spent 13 seasons in the NFL between the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins and New England Patriots. The technology he has helped build makes use of a technology known as Crash Cloud, which helps to absorb and disperse impact energy more effectively than traditional helmets.
The company says the technology was inspired by the science used to protect infants during car crashes. Crash Cloud automatically adjusts to manage a wide range of impact rates, from soft bumps that only need minimal energy transfer to hard impacts that require energy to be transferred more widely across the helmet to minimize the chance of a traumatic brain injury or concussion.
angelMD has invested in helmet technology before. In February 2016, it lead an $8 million seed investment in Vicis, which makes an impact-reducing football helmet.
But angelMD Senior Vice President for Corporate Development Dan Parsley said there is a need for a “variety of approaches for a wide range of applications and price points.”
Windpact is unique because it’s highly customizable and lends itself “to a multitude of uses,” Parsley said in a statement. Windpact has expressed interest in expanding the technology solve military, automotive and manufacturing safety issues as well.
