A new funding avenue for early stage orthopedic concepts.

If you don't know OREF, you are living in a cave. OREF was founded in 1955 by orthopedic surgeons to fund independent research and education in the musculoskeletal space. OREF is one of the most respected organizations in all of orthopedics. When I talked with Lee Grossman, CEO of OREF, a few weeks ago, I realized that OREF has a Fund and an Accelerator program called Orizon, so I invited him onto BoneChat to discuss.  Below is the video recording and 10 takeaways from our discussion.

Origins and Purpose The Orizon Fund is a logical extension of OREF’s 70-year history of funding over 4,700 grants for orthopedic research. It aims to bridge the gap between research and commercialization, helping vetted ideas from OREF grant recipients reach surgeons’ hands to improve patient outcomes. Target Audience Initially, the fund focuses on OREF grant recipients—primarily researchers (MDs or PhDs) with proven data from a rigorous peer-review process. Since its launch in May of the previous year, it plans to expand eligibility to anyone with promising early-stage orthopedic ideas. Venture Studio Model Orizon operates as a venture studio, not just a fund. It par...