Abby McInturf’s startup Band Connect has made some significant strides since its graduation from University of Cincinnati’s Venture Lab in 2018.
The digital health startup, which is developing fitness equipment outfitted with sensors to promote in-home physical therapy, recently launched its first clinical trials with two local hospital systems.
The company is also nearing a close on its pre-seed round of funding, headlined by a key state investor — and an upcoming military pilot with the Department of Defense could further accelerate its growth.
Cincy Inno first profiled Band Connect last year, following the company’s successful launch from UC’s Venture Lab, a pre-accelerator program housed inside the 1819 Innovation Hub. McInturf, a 2018 graduate of UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP), was essentially hand-picked for the program.
She said the company now has a functioning product. Band Connect’s platform allows physical therapists to create personalized treatment plans, and its fitness equipment is outfitted with sensor-enabled hardware that connects to software so patients do those exercises correctly.
McInturf said the offering eliminates the use of cameras and reduces the frequency of in-clinic visits, an offering, particularly post-pandemic, more patients and physicians seem to be clamoring for. Recent adjustments to the Medicare physician fee schedule also means customers can be fully reimbursed for the cost of the device.
“We knew that was coming, but it's exciting to be on the front edge of it and to be a leader in the space,” McInturf said. “Physical therapy isn’t going away, and this enables patients to just pick it up and go.”
Band Connect kicked off its first set of clinical trials in March. McInturf declined to disclose the company’s two health care partners but said the studies are taking place across multiple sites locally. Each will include about 60 patients.
The goal is to test Band Connect’s upper extremity offerings — McInturf said there are currently more than 50 exercises for various shoulder conditions on the platform.
The company continues to build out its portfolio, she said, and the next devices will focus on the hip and knee.
In terms of financing, Band Connect was able to use its Venture Lab funding (the program provides non-diluted grant capital) to continue its product development and customer discovery. It also received a grant from Main Street Ventures in 2021 to cover IP expenses.
And McInturf is in the final stages of raising a $500,000 pre-seed round that includes a key state connection. The round is being led by Cleveland-based JumpStart Inc. along with other supporting investors.
The money will help Band Connect execute its clinical trials and kickstart commercialization. McInturf said the company plans to raise further funding in the third quarter of this year.
“It's been a really cool experience having the Cincinnati and Ohio ecosystem behind us — from the Venture Lab to the grant funding and the local hospital systems to JumpStart,” she said.
Arguably its most exciting new development, Band Connect received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to pilot its product at two military treatment facility sites, including Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg and Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point. The pilot is part of the Army’s Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center advanced medical technology initiative (AMTI).
McInturf said the company has been circling the DOD for a while, especially with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. It will be its first formal engagement outside the state.
“There's a lot of opportunities there,” she said.
