Peter Gilleece

About

Peter Gilleece researched body armour as a mechanical engineering student at Queen's University Belfast and founded Vikela in 2020, raising money for a 3D printer. Vikela 3D-prints body armour from Kevlar and carbon fibre that is lighter, fits better, protects men and women equally and can be fully recycled.

Vikela gained Home Office certification, becoming what it calls the world's first producer of 3D-printed body armour. It has closed an investment round, moved into a 20,000 sq ft factory in Bangor and signed partners in the US, Japan and the UK.

Number 16 on the Startups 100 Index 2025.