• Cast21

  Participated · Equity · Jan 2017

  Cast21 builds a waterproof, breathable cast with an open-lattice design that lets patients wash and scratch skin beneath the molding. The cast is molded from a medalist thermoplastic elastomer using a patent-pending tubing system and is currently focused on short-arm applications. The design, inspired by a Chinese finger-trap, is intended to be comfortable on skin and easy to manufacture; it could eventually be used with low-voltage electrical stimulation to speed bone healing and retain muscle volume. The device is FDA listed and registered. The company plans mechanical testing with the University of Illinois and two pilot patient tests at medical centers in Central Illinois later this year, and will use the new funding to prove manufacturability, complete testing, and execute pilots in non-research settings. Cast21 was founded by University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign engineering students Ashley Moy, Jason Troutner, and Justin Brooks; the team currently splits time between EnterpriseWorks in Champaign and MATTER in Chicago and employs six interns.

• Spine Wave

  Participated · Equity · May 2016

  Spine Wave develops and commercializes medical devices for the treatment of spinal disorders, emphasizing novel, less-invasive and expandable technologies. Its product portfolio includes the StaXx® XD Expandable Device, the Leva® Interbody Device, the True Position® Pivoting Spacer, the Abacus® Lateral Spacer System, the XLR® II Lateral Access System, the Sniper® Spine System, the Annex® Adjacent Level System and the CapSure® PS3 Spine System. Several new products are currently in limited market release and the company anticipates the full commercial launch of seven major new products over the next 12–18 months. The company says it is undertaking its largest product portfolio expansion in its history and is recruiting new sales managers and independent distributors to support growth. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to fund that portfolio expansion and support aggressive product launches.

• Ortho Kinematics

  Participated · Series C · Apr 2015

  Ortho Kinematics is a privately held diagnostic technology company focused on spine imaging informatics and committed to the idea that spine motion matters. Its flagship product is the VMA (Vertebral Motion Analysis) for the radiographic assessment of spinal instability and alignment; the company developed the VMA-Align module to assess sagittal alignment. The VMA technology had a commercial launch in 2015 and VMA-Align was developed in 2016. Ortho Kinematics recently closed an $18.6 million Series D equity financing to support continued commercialization and further development of the technology. The company is ramping a broader commercial launch and will expand sales, marketing, manufacturing, and R&D activities to meet demand. Leadership and industry commentators emphasized the need for improved functional spine diagnostics and suggested patients will benefit from wider commercialization. Ortho Kinematics is a privately held diagnostic technology company focused on spine imaging informatics and the biomechanical assessment of spinal motion. Its flagship product, the VMA (Vertebral Motion Analysis), provides radiographic assessment of spinal motion and instability. OKI has commercially tested the VMA on over 4,000 patients, demonstrating clinical traction. The company plans to expand U.S. and OUS commercialization of the VMA and to launch several new product features. To support commercialization and reimbursement efforts it appointed Margie Hans as Director of Reimbursement and Health Policy. Ortho Kinematics is located in Austin, Texas and is using new financing to strengthen its cash position. Ortho Kinematics develops the VMA (Vertebral Motion Analysis), a radiographic motion-analysis product for assessing spinal motion and instability. The company is a privately held diagnostic technology firm focused on spine imaging informatics and works with clinicians, researchers, and developers. OKI secured FDA clearance for the VMA and completed a limited-scale commercial launch. It is currently ramping up efforts for a full-scale commercial launch within the U.S. and Europe. The company plans to expand sales and marketing and continue limited research and development to support adoption. Ortho Kinematics is located in Austin, Texas. Ortho Kinematics is a privately held diagnostic technology company focused on spine imaging informatics based in Austin, Texas. Its core product is the VMA (Vertebral Motion Analysis) platform, a proprietary technology that pairs with standard fluoroscopes to capture video x-ray images while patients perform flexion, extension, and lateral bending movements. Proprietary image recognition software tracks motion at each vertebral level to produce biomechanical data; the VMA has patented intellectual property and received U.S. FDA clearance earlier this year. OKI is in a limited scale beta launch with strategic partners. The company plans to use new funding to commercialize VMA and to complete and expand its enterprise platform to assess the cervical spine in addition to current lumbar assessments. Leadership states the goal is to advance diagnostic standards for spine motion assessments. Ortho Kinematics develops the KineGraph VMA™, a vertebral motion analyzer that uses standard fluoroscopy and proprietary image-recognition software to track intervertebral movement. The device captures video images of the spine while patients are guided through flexion, extension, and side‑bending to produce movement information at each vertebral level. The KineGraph VMA™ is an investigational device currently in clinical studies at seven sites across the United States and United Kingdom. The company plans to use the new funds to expand its ongoing clinical study, pursue regulatory clearance, and hire key sales personnel. Ortho Kinematics is led by founder and CEO Adam Deitz and is based in Austin, Texas. It closed $2M of new funding in the announced round.

• Better Walk

  Led · Series A · Feb 2015

  Better Walk develops the Better Walk Crutch, a medical device designed to remove force from the user's underarm and distribute it along the body as an alternative to traditional underarm or forearm crutches. The company was founded in May 2013 by three Georgia Tech biomedical engineering students and has focused on product development since inception. Better Walk participated in the 2013 Zero To 510 medical device accelerator and has presented at events including the White House, Georgia Bio Shark Tank 2013, SEMDA 2014, and AAOS 2014. The company closed a $450,000 Series A round, its third financing to date, bringing total funding to $600,000. Management said the funding will be used to continue manufacturing and distributing the Better Walk Crutch, and the company is gearing up for a planned launch this spring. Better Walk is based in Atlanta. Better Walk, launched by students at Georgia Tech, is developing ergonomically designed crutches produced with 3D printing. Its core product features an angled hand grip with an attached holster and a side contact piece intended to eliminate underarm weight and reduce wrist/forearm strain. The use of 3D printing allows rapid iteration based on feedback from orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists, shortening prototyping time and costs. The company has showcased at the White House Maker Faire and the Southeastern Medical Device Association conference, participated in the Zero to 510 accelerator, and reports six orthopedic surgeons have signed letters of intent to purchase. Better Walk has raised $150,000 in seed funding and is finishing product development while targeting orthopedic clinics first for adoption. Management says it will focus on ramping sales to fund additional product introductions and has discussed strategic co-branding with distributors or hospital groups; CEO Partha Unnava has described the aim as becoming “the Nike brand of crutches.”

• iScreen Vision

  Led · Series B · Oct 2013

  iScreen Vision offers pediatric vision screening equipment and services built around digital photoscreening technology and a patented cloud-based system for image transmission, analysis, and storage. Its screener is non-invasive, operates like a digital camera, requires minimal cooperation from the child, and can screen children as young as 1 year old. The system integrates with physician EMR systems and the device received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2011. Instrument-based pediatric vision screening is reimbursed by many commercial payers under CPT Code 99174. The company reported record sales in the first nine months of 2013 and a triple-digit sales growth rate that year. iScreen plans to use new funding to expand domestic and international sales, ramp production to meet rising demand, and increase research and development.

No current team members are available.