Vipamatcompany
Wheelchair manufacturer
Vipamat offers innovatively designed products, allowing disabled children and adults to access new horizons in terms of activities.
Our products
Vipamat products provide comfort, accessibility, and ergonomics to users in order to facilitate their use while remaining attentive to the product’s life expectancy. Beach wheelchair and all terrain wheelchair Hippocampe is one of the market leaders.
Vipamat in the world
Vipamat is based in west of France but currently present in many countries throughout the world through its distributor network.
Vipamat in USA
Our office in North America is in Houston. Present at numerous exhibitions show in US, Vipamat is attentive it its clients’ needs and remarks.
Made inFrance / CE
ISO 13485AFNOR
FDAcertification
Soldinternationally
VipamatHistory
In 1996, Patrice Faucogney, military and helicopter mechanic, became paraplegic following an accident.
If Patrice has to rebuild his life around the disability, he has the will to resume his sports activities. He realizes that access to certain adapted activities: kayaking, sailing, diving, is sometimes complicated. During his rehabilitation, he meets an orthoprosthesist and Vincent Leroy, a physiotherapist. Together, they came up with the idea of designing a wheelchair for access to the beach and swimming.
The prototype imagined by the trio had to meet several criteria: allow the user autonomy on difficult terrain, be easily dismantled, be very robust, have a small footprint for easy storage and above all a nice look!
In 2002, after several years of research and the awards obtained by the prototype, the Vipamat company was born.
« Adapted sports activities had become difficult to access without help. I wanted to remove as many constraints as possible in order to be active. Hence the creation of Vipamat! »
Patrice Faucogney CoOwner of Vipamat company
ImportantDATES
2002
Creation of Vipamat (from VIncent PAtrice MAThieu) which will manufacture and sell the wheelchair. Designers received their first prizes which will manufacture and market the Hippocampe wheelchair. That same year, the Hippocampe wheelchair and its designers received their first prizes: Lépine competition Lorient invention fair.
2003
In 2003, wheelchair Hippocampe received numerous french awards: Competition at the International Invention Salon in Paris - Gold Medal - Lépine Masters 2003 for business creation 2003 Observeur Design Award from the Agence pour la Promotion de la Création Industrielle Paris, France Anvar Award from the Ministry of Innovation
2004
Development of the Hippocampe pool wheelchair allowing easy access to community swimming pools, access to changing rooms, toilets, showers ... Gold Medal at the Lépine Competition at the European Exhibition for Invention of CHARLEROI (Belgium). NF Quality Label Approval for Hippocampe wheelchairs.
2005
Homologation FDA (Food And Drug Administration) permettant à la société Vipamat la commercialisation de l’Hippocampe aux USA et au Canada. Bruno Tateossian représente VIPAMAT AUX USA et distribue pour VIPAMAT l'HIPPOCAMPE aux USA-CANADA
2007
Development of the "Orchidée", tecnical assistant faciliting learning to walk for disabled children. Orchidée received Coloplast award.
2008
NF Santé Certification for the Beach and All terrain wheelchair. Creation of Research and Devleopment department.
2011
Vipamat manufactures the 3000th Hippocampe wheelchair
2014
To meet the demand of many customers, Vipamat focuses on R&D to design a Hippocampe Marathon which can be used for your races and other sporting challenges.
2015
Renewal of the FDA certification after audit of our quality system