Pallets of printers and testing gear that arrived from KAV's Redwood City, California plant have been reestablished in the revolutionary cycling helmet-maker's Western New York factory this week. Printers; some new, others boxed up and repurposed from KAV's Silicon Valley Operations, are rolling onto the floor and running already. A nook in the company's factory, easily mistaken for a storage space, is being designed to become the factory's new testing zone for models of helmets already being produced and others yet to hit the market. It's part of KAV's migration East, a decision made this summer to amplify production and efficiency. Some KAV staff members are on the way to Buffalo. At least one engineer's arrived to support operations. Others are still measuring the opportunity. Cost-savings come with the decision by KAV CEO Whitman Kwok to head east. Production has already accelerated. KAV Operations Director Alex Grenning says the Buffalo plant hit a new stage of production this month.

A Silicon Valley startup choosing Western New York as its next-gen launch site had a great ring to it two years ago. But KAV Helmets, the Redwood City, California-born innovator of cycling helmets through 3D printing and AI manufacturing, has now doubled down on Buffalo. Founder Whitman Kwok announced at a grand opening event at KAV's Louisiana Street production center Thursday that the maker of custom-fit cycling helmets will call Buffalo its full-time home for all manufacturing; leaving The Valley behind for another Valley; that of the Queen City's Old First Ward. "It's not just the talent that we find here, it's the people who've been supportive, and a community that has helped us take the next step," Kwok said to a gathering of state, local and regional leaders. "This is the definition of true success for a community," said Colleen Heidinger, President of 43North, the state accelerator program that awarded KAV one million dollar as part of its annual startup competition in 2024. "We invested in KAV, wrapped our services and support around Whitman and his team. But then, the community stood up around him." Heidinger specifically mentioned the investment by Brown and White Ventures, the year-old venture capital fund built by alumni and supporters of St. Bonaventure University which operates independently of the university. "When Brown and White invested, that was a sign of this community's commitment to KAV and in 43 North," Heidinger said. KAV became Brown and White Ventures' first portfolio company in Q1 2025. The fund followed a $200,000 initial investment with a follow-on investment of $100.000 in Q2. "Innovation in manufacturing, in the region in which our fund seeks to invest, is one of the reasons we continue to support Whitman and the KAV team," said Jim Aroune, co-founder of Brown and White Ventures. "I was struck by your passion, for pursuing health, safety, and new technology, and in this place, with such an industrial past, that makes such a connection to what makes Buffalo. You are, truly, a perfect fit," Bonnie Lockwood, Regional Director of WNY, said to Kwok and KAV staff. Lockwood spoke at the factory opening event on behalf of New York Governor Kathy Hochul. KAV's Buffalo plant has operated the last two months with a staff of five. It has produced KAV's two helmet models, including its Rhoan helmet, the company's newest model. Kwok said Wednesday the company would hire three, and up to ten employees in its new micro-factory, which has dozens of nearly-silent 3D printers spinning the company's helmets. "We are extremely excited to grow with this community," Kwok said.

KAVHelmets announced it will serve as the official helmet sponsor for Gravel Worlds 2025, one of the most renowned grassroots gravel races in the nation.  This year's Gravel Worlds takes place in Lincoln, Nebraska, August 20–24, Gravel Worlds welcomes riders of all levels—from those conquering 30 miles or exceeding 300. Organizers call it a race built on camaraderie, determination, and a shared love for gravel riding, "with no egos and no barriers, just gravel, grit, and great people." KAV's announcement comes after the successful launch of its newest racing helmet model, Rhoan. It's Rhoan helmet is 3D printed KAV says it's made to channel air and shed heat. The company's AI manufacturing process creates a purely custom-fit helmet, designed to exceed safety standards while providing riders the conditions for speed that matters in competition. Rhoan is one of two models produced by KAV manufactured in the company's new production center in Buffalo, NY.   The helmet company has built a strong connection to Gravel World.  The riding event launched under the banner of The Goodlife Gravel Adventure in 2008. KAV describes it as a riding event with no categories, no officials and no prize money; just pure, unscripted competition and post-ride camaraderie.  Registration for Gravel Worlds 2025 is now open. KAV expects its riding community to be a part of the event, promoting this year's edition of Gravel Worlds with: "Choose your route. Gather your crew," and it's trademark slogan: "Get Out There." KAVHelmets is a portfolio company of Brown and White Ventures.

Shaving your head is what a cyclist who wants a custom-fit helmet would ordinarily have to do to get exactly what they want. KAV Helmets CEO Whitman Kwok muses that, when his company realized that was the cutoff point for consumers to buy into his new line of five-star safety certified custom-built lids, a better system of measurement had to be developed. “Not that many people are that committed to our product to do that,” Kwok joked with co-hosts of News4Buffalo’s morning show September 9th. KAV’s one-selfie, AI-driven custom measurement system allows consumers to send a single image of their head into the company’s app when purchasing a helmet. That snapshot, plugged into an algorithm that also measures facial features to assist in the design of the custom helmet, delivers a near-perfect fit, according to Kwok. Manufacturing breakthroughs like that helped KAV remain the only cycling helmet maker producing helmets in the United States. Leveraged with patented materials with which the helmet is made, and a 3-D printing model that drives an environmentally-friendly, efficient production model, KAV has gone from Silicon Valley startup to Western New York manufacturer. Kwok and company moved full operations from Redwood City, California to Buffalo’s Old First Ward in August. The cost of doing business in the region made more sense for KAV’s next step in its business ascent. Kwok called out the region’s workforce and the Buffalo community’s support of KAV for the decision during his conversation on News4Buffalo. “Because of the people, the dollars and cents work out,” Kwok said. “For us, our fundamental premise is we built a technology, we call it micro-fab; a mini-factory that’ s allowed us leap frog a lot of the reasons people tend to offshore.” KAV continues to leverage relationships it built as a Cohort 9 winner of the 43North startup contest in 2023. It led to investment from Brown and White Ventures in early 2025. Kwok says KAV will benefit from moving full operations from Silicon Valley to Buffalo because of the lighter cost of doing business and the workforce willing to take KAV to the next level. “Buffalo has such a great history of manufacturing. For us to take the best of the old and take new technology, I think it’s a winning combination.” See News4Buffalo’s segment on KAV with Whitman Kwok here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhFn2Uds2cg

For all the pedaling and pounding pace cyclists endure, bike helmet safety and speed can come down to the polymors under the shell, especially the proprietary kind KAV Helmets put to use. KAV founder Whitman Kwok shared that and more about his helmet company on the N-1 Podcast with James Huang. Huang, who promotes his program to be all the bicycle news that's fit to print, toured KAV's California headquarters to learn more about the startup and how it's challenging the manufacturing process of cycling safety. N-1's title for the episode: Turning The Bike Helmet Hegemony On Its Head. KAV Helmets is a portfolio company of Brown and White Ventures.