Tuesday, September 20, 2011

iWalk steps up with a distributor network

By Rodney H. Brown

Bedford-based bionic leg maker iWalk Inc. has picked a dozen partners to be the first group of official providers of the company’s PowerFoot BiOM prosthetic.

The BiOM is a robotic lower leg system for amputees that allows for a more natural gait and conforms its function to many aspects of walking that are currently difficult for a standard prosthetic to handle, such as a sudden increase in walking speed, according to the company.

The technology was developed by MIT researcher Hugh Herr, who lost both of his lower legs in a hiking incident on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The company was founded by Herr in 2006.

In January, iWalk raised $15 million in a third round, which came from new investor Sigma Partners, as well as existing backers General Catalyst Partners and New York-based WFD Ventures LLC.

The first 12 members of iWalk’s distribution network are:

American Orthopedics, Columbus, Ohio
Alabama Artificial Limb, Montgomery, Ala.
Bulow Biotech, Nashville, Tenn.
Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics, Silver Spring, Md.
Next Step Orthotics and Prosthetics, Manchester, N.H.
POSI, Marlton, N.J.
Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates, Orlando, Fla.
Prosthetic Innovations, Eddystone, Pa.
SRT Prosthetics and Orthotics, Fort Wayne, Ind.
A Step Ahead Prosthetics, Hicksville, N.Y.
University of Michigan Orthotics and Prosthetics Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
University of Mississippi Prosthetic and Orthotics, Jackson, Miss.