Last year was a good one for Winter Innovations, 2021 has important key milestones
Last year was a good year for Winter Innovations Inc., and Co-Founder Lia Winter is optimistic that 2021 will feature even more significant milestones.
The inventor of the EasyWhipTM stitching needle for orthopedic procedures issued a recent highlights email where she said, “We couldn’t have done it without your help and continued support.” Readers can click here for a video of the medical device.
Among the 2020 highlights that Winter cited were: (1) completing the first production build of EasyWhipTM needles; (2) receiving the start-up’s first issued patent on October 6, ironically her birthday; (3) closing its first funding round that was led by The Angel Roundtable; (4) winning first place at the Dassault Systemes 3D Experience World Conference; (5) completing and passing all tests required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical products to be cleared for human use; and (6) having the Team Physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers demo the device.
What’s on the calendar for 2021? Winter says they include:
- Closing a bridge round of investment funding that will provide capital to operate through 2021;
- Submitting the application to the FDA for EasyWhip™ to be cleared for human use;
- Securing the required FDA clearance;
- Using EasyWhip™ for the first time in a patient; and
- Performing a research study to further validate the performance of EasyWhip™ compared to competing products.
Winter came to the region to enroll at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she subsequently earned two graduate degrees – an MBA and a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering. Along the way, Winter Innovations won more than $150,000 in prize money during a number of student competitions.
