After two years of development with Design Studio APE in Amsterdam, headfirst founder Daan Zoetmulder took the Echo Pro to Kickstarter, inviting backers to be among the first to own a helmet built around the brand's patented SafeFit system.
"Most of the flexibility in our helmet and SafeFit system is concentrated in the sides and back of the helmet," explained the founder. "The front maintains more structure for optimal protection, but we include extra padding options to ensure a comfortable fit for all head shapes."
Backers could choose between black, beige, and green, in two sizes covering most adult head shapes. Manufacturing was set up in partnership with Strategic Sports, with the first batch planned to reach backers before the end of the year.
For Daan and the team, Kickstarter wasn't just a way to fund production, it was the first real test of whether people would actually want to wear the helmet they'd spent two years designing. The response made it clear: they were on to something. The campaign became the foundation for everything that followed, from press coverage in Designboom and Bikerumor to the iF Design Gold Award.
headfirst Launches on Kickstarter
After two years of development with Design Studio APE in Amsterdam, headfirst founder Daan Zoetmulder took the Echo Pro to Kickstarter, inviting backers to be among the first to own a helmet built around the brand's patented SafeFit system.
"Most of the flexibility in our helmet and SafeFit system is concentrated in the sides and back of the helmet," explained the founder. "The front maintains more structure for optimal protection, but we include extra padding options to ensure a comfortable fit for all head shapes."
Backers could choose between black, beige, and green, in two sizes covering most adult head shapes. Manufacturing was set up in partnership with Strategic Sports, with the first batch planned to reach backers before the end of the year.
For Daan and the team, Kickstarter wasn't just a way to fund production, it was the first real test of whether people would actually want to wear the helmet they'd spent two years designing. The response made it clear: they were on to something. The campaign became the foundation for everything that followed, from press coverage in Designboom and Bikerumor to the iF Design Gold Award.