KneeVoice

KneeVoice is a medical technology company focused on monitoring those suffering from knee osteoarthritis, or knee OA.

Roughly 250 million people worldwide are affected by this condition, which causes the degrading of cartilage in the knee. This includes more than thirty-two million in the U.S. For these people, simply diagnosing their condition can involve painful, expensive testing. This is where KneeVoice aims to help.

This company has created a noninvasive diagnostic and monitoring platform. Using neural networks, Artificial Intelligence, and machine learning, the platform captures sounds and vibrations made by the knee — essentially, the knee’s “voice” — and makes it easier and faster for doctors to analyze, detect, and monitor the health of knee joints.

Though not commercially available quite yet, KneeVoice’s platform is getting close. The company has completed medical trials in several U.S. health centers, and performed in-person testing on more than 3,000 knees in the U.S., Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Colombia.

Additionally, KneeVoice has been granted patents covering the utility of its technology and product designs. And in January 2022, it filed a pre-submission with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The pre-submission allows companies to receive valuable feedback on their medical devices before making an official submission. This enables them to be aware of any possible issues ahead of time and stay on track to getting their device to market as soon as possible.

As mentioned, knee OA is a widespread condition. And the market for medical devices aimed at assisting those with this condition is massive. As of 2021, the global orthopedic devices market was valued at more than forty billion dollars, according to Grand View Research. And the knee orthopedic devices segment was the largest in this market.

The trouble is, the primary way to diagnose knee OA involves taking a magnetic resonance image, or MRI. Even for a simple assessment, though, the cost of a single MRI can be thousands of dollars. MRIs also involve bulky machinery and require substantial space to conduct the test.

KneeVoice has created an alternative. Its platform features two complementary products:

The first is a professional-grade diagnostic device for doctors, physician offices, and sports teams. It’s called the KneeVoice Diagnostic Device.

This product consists of a display interface and vibration/position sensors. The interface is used by the person conducting the exam and depicts the audio graphic images taken from probes. Probes are connected to the patient’s knee with patches, and then collect and transmit audiogram signals to the display.

The second product is a “smart” wearable, called the KneeVoice Wearable. This proof-of-concept device resembles a minimalistic knee brace. It wraps around the knee and features a sound/sensor probe affixed at the knee joint that monitors cartilage movement and health.

The wearable is equipped with Bluetooth technology, allowing the wearer to listen to the “voice” of their knee, and receive a score related to cartilage data. This score is presented in KneeVoice’s mobile app, which is under development.

Both the KneeVoice Diagnostic Device and Wearable are designed with three primary technologies:

• Listening Device: A noninvasive listening device uses acoustic sensors to capture and transmit the sounds of cartilage.

• Artificial Intelligence: A machine-learning algorithm analyzes, compares, and assesses the health of the knee.

• Neural Network: A neural network takes data, compares it to existing information on other users, and improves the accuracy of the algorithm.

KneeVoice has been granted patents covering the utility of its acoustic sensors and the design of the display screen built for the Diagnostic Device.

Once available, the company’s Diagnostic Device will be sold to orthopedic centers, doctors, physical therapists, and sports teams. The expected retail price will be $6,600, and disposable knee adhesives will sell between six dollars and ten dollars.

Additionally, the KneeVoice Wearable will be sold direct-to-consumers who wish to work with their doctor to monitor their knee health. The wearable will have a retail price of $149.

Down the road, KneeVoice will roll out a subscription for its products, which will enable businesses to maintain historical records of their patients’ knee data.

KneeVoice has spent much of 2022 developing its products and working with the FDA. In Q4 2022, it aims to launch its Diagnostic Device and begin the certification process for its Wearable. The company plans to launch its Wearable in Q1 2023.

Team Background

Gustavo De Grieff - Co-Founder & CEO

Gustavo has more than fifteen years of experience in business development, finance, contract negotiation, and product marketing.

Prior to starting KneeVoice, he was the Business Development Vice President for Ubicquia, a telecommunications company. Before that, he was CEO of Digital Virgo, an advertising and digital services business.

Earlier, he was a financial analyst with WAAT Media, a mobile media startup. Before that, he was Vice President of Sales and Business Development with Twistbox Entertainment, a wireless services company.

Gustavo holds an MBA from the University of Miami.

Dr. Carlos Leal - Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer

Carlos is an orthopedic surgeon and knee replacement specialist. His expertise includes regenerative medicine, arthroscopic and reconstructive knee surgery, and “shockwave” medicine.

For more than thirty years, he’s been a professor of Medicine at the Universidad El Bosque, located in Bogota, Colombia. Throughout his career, he has published numerous papers and won awards in medicine and medical research.

He holds a degree in Medicine from the Universidad El Bosque and was a post-doctoral research fellow at Harvard Medical School. Additionally, he was a knee surgery fellow at NYU.

Philippe Chutzcer - Chief Marketing Officer

Philippe has more than twenty years of business development and marketing experience.

Previously, he was Head of Growth for Sansa, an advertising company. Before that, he held leadership positions in communications companies Digital Virgo and Cellcast Media.

Earlier in his career, he was Ticketing and Partnerships Manager with AlloCine, a France-based platform for cinema tickets. Prior to that, he was General Ticketing Manager with the FIFA World Cup event in 1998.

Philippe holds a Master’s degree Marketing from ESSCA, located in France.

Felipe Rigby - Co-Founder & CTO

Prior to starting KneeVoice, Felipe was Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Restowiz, a tech company helping restaurants build and manage digital operations. Before that, he was CTO of Sansa Advertising, and prior to that was CTO of Digital Virgo Americas, a telecommunications business.

Earlier in his career, Felipe was CTO of Contento Media, a South America-based media company. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from la Universidad el Bosque.

Co-Investors