This is a public service announcement for orthopedic entrepreneurs.
The funding climate is frosty, but investors are still writing checks—they’ve just become "risk-allergic accountants." To get funded, you don't just need a cool gadget; you need to systematically kill risk.
At the bottom of this article is your scoring sheet with 100 possible points to see if you are ready to attract funding.
1. Market Opportunity & Team
The Goal: Prove the problem is big enough to solve and you're the ones to do it.
Criteria: $350M+ TAM; a "been there, done that" leadership team; a "ferocious" founder.
Common Mistakes: * Defining the market too broadly (e.g., "The entire spine market") instead of the specific pathology. The "Founder Trap": Thinking the inventor is the best person to be the CEO (rarely true).
2. Intellectual Property (IP)
The Goal: Build a moat that makes competitors cry.
Criteria: Issued patents or strong provisionals; Freedom to Operate (FTO) analysis; no public disclosure before filing.
Common Mistakes: * Stopping after the first patent. Not "stress testing" the IP against potential workarounds before pitching.
3. Product Development & Prototyping
The Goal: Prov...
