About Us

News

OUR STORY:

XO Armor started with a request from Auburn Athletics to help develop technology to modernize the creation of protective gear for Auburn football players. Players and athletic trainers were so impressed we outfitted players at virtually every position on the field over the next two seasons and also developed custom-fitted gear for women's soccer, basketball, and other sports on campus.

OUR TEAM:

Michael Zabala, PhD

Founder

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Auburn University and Director of Auburn University Biomechanical Engineering Lab. Michael received his PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 2013. His research focuses on human performance and injury prevention.

Jacob Larson, PhD

Co-Founder

Received his PhD in mechanical engineering at Auburn University in 2022. Specializes in programming, mesh generation and optimization, and digital platform management. Over 8 years of experience coding and various projects in research, academia, business, and industry.

Jimmy Zabala

Chief Operating Officer

23-year veteran of international markets, experienced in both developed and emerging markets. A leader with a proven track record of overseeing business operations delivering profitable growth. His previous experience includes CFO in Schumberger, Nestle, and SAP.

OUR MISSION:

We've always been passionate about keeping athletes safe. Our motto "Cover One", reflects our ultimate goal to get fully custom protection to every athlete to allow higher levels of performance and safety in a low profile guard. We've designed our technology to be accessible and affordable, meaning that more people than ever can experience the future of fully custom protection.