KASK, the iconic Italian helmet brand, dates back to 2004.
The company was founded by Angelo Gotti and over the last two decades has grown to become a pioneer in sport and workplace safety.
From cycling to skiing to equestrian, KASK is a global standard-bearer in helmet production.
Originating in Bergamo, the company has conquered international markets with 170 employees now working across three subsidiaries and selling over a million helmets a year in 80+ countries.
The key to success? Putting personal protection first without compromising on comfort, design and performance.
18 March 2024 – Chiuduno, Italy: Passion and inquisitiveness are qualities often found in entrepreneurial success stories, and it is those two characteristics that helped sow the seeds of KASK, which today celebrates its 20th birthday.
The iconic Italian helmet brand's story began in 2004 when founder Angelo Gotti began developing his own innovative cycling helmets out of a small workshop in Bergamo with the dream of creating his own independent company.
By 2006 his first fully fledged helmets were born and it was those same designs that, less than four years later, would come be worn by Team Sky (now INEOS Grenadiers) as the British outfit began to write their own chapter in cycling history.
That partnership proved to be a watershed moment in the KASK's growth. Working with the world's best riders, staff and engineers not only brought about huge improvements in helmet safety, but in performance as well. To date the collaboration with the team has yielded seven Tour de France wins, three Giro d'Italia successes, and two Vuelta a España triumphs.
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
KASK also entered the workplace safety market in 2008, and after its early successes in cycling, expanded into alpine skiing in 2009, and equestrian six years later.
No matter the industry, KASK's helmets became a reference point for maximum protection and high-level design. As the brand's footprint grew across new countries and sectors, its logo also evolved yet still retained the unmistakable lime green colour which is now recognised the world over.
Another constant which has stood the test of time is the company's mission of offering high-quality, Italian-made products that focus on the safety and protection of its wearers; professional athletes or construction workers alike. These founding principals have been supported by constant R&D, attention to detail, and meticulous safety checks which continue to ensure only the very best KASK helmets make it onto the shelves in over 80 countries around the globe.
Indeed, from its humble beginnings in Chiuduno, Bergamo, KASK expanded to establish a subsidiary in the United States in 2010, and then in Australia four years later. Last year saw the company reach a milestone figure of selling one million helmets in a calendar year.
KASK'S UNWAVERING VALUES
Attention to detail is just one element that has helped KASK achieve its incredible growth, coupled with rigorous quality control at every stage of production.
KASK founder and CEO Angelo Gotti said: "I have always wanted to instil in my colleagues a passion for developing quality products.
"It's our people that are the key to the company's success: not only the 170 men and women who work across our three subsidiaries, but also our partners, suppliers and customers. It's they who contribute every day to strengthening our reputation and making us a reference point for excellence across numerous markets."
Testament to that are the many sporting victories achieved in KASK helmets over the last two decades, the numerous international awards, and the 20-plus patents that have been registered so far.
KASK General Manager Diego Zambon said: "Reaching 20 years is an important milestone which has allowed us to take a look at what we have achieved and also analyse the results we've obtained.
"We have great potential to broaden our horizons even further, and over the next 20 years we will continue to surprise people with what we can achieve."
INTO THE FUTURE
Last, but certainly not least, KASK's strong bond with the Bergamasque community, and the initiatives it drives to help promote the conservation, protection, and promotion of the province, remain solid focuses.
As KASK looks to the future, as well as continuing to make its products incredibly safe and high performing, it also has an eye on environmental and social sustainability. For Angelo Gotti and the company's management, the value of the business doesn't just come in its profitability, but in the role it plays in enhancing the lives of those who work for the brand, and the millions of people who choose to wear KASK products the world over.
