The idea for NEMO was born one turbulent night in 2002 on the side of Mount Washington, where founder Cam Brensinger spent five sleepless hours in a poorly designed bivy. That night, he realized how many opportunities there were for thoughtful design as part of the equation for enjoying the adventure. Coming down the mountain the next day, he resolved to tackle that challenge. Cam founded NEMO Equipment in the spring of his senior year at the Rhode Island School of Design and, three days after graduation opened its first office in Nashua, New Hampshire.
The name NEMO was inspired by both the idea of "New England Mountain Outfitters" and Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo.