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Park & Diamond has released its collapsible bicycle helmet, three years after a pair of Virginia Tech students hatched the idea for a startup that focused on something people actually want to wear.

Co-founders David Hall and Jordan Klein showed off early prototypes in Blacksburg, winning a slew of pitch competitions and nearly $200,000 worth of checks with a helmet that could fit inside a water bottle.

But with all the winnings came a sense of obligation to see the business through after graduation.

“Every time we’d win a pitch competition there would be that moment of elation, because you worked really hard to prepare and present,” Klein said. “But then there was almost this kind of settling in of this feeling of responsibility to actually do something with the newfound resources and attention you got.”

This week, the company began its first pre-sale through crowdfunding site Indiegogo. The helmets start at $79 with early-bird pricing, and will be delivered in the first part of 2019.