Instalimb, a Japan-based tech company in the prosthesis business, is open for negotiations to raise $2.3 million in the next several months for future investments, which includes scaling up its current operations in both the Philippines and India. In doing so, Instalimb also hopes to invest in more equipment to help more people in these countries.
According to Crunchbase.com, a platform built to track startups’ investment and funding information, Instalimb has accomplished several Series A funding rounds this year. In addition to funding their expansion in the Philippines and India, Instalimb plans to develop technology that will enable the implementation of full-remote manufacturing to replace their current semi-remote manufacturing process. These developments will further streamline Instalimb’s manufacturing process and make their prostheses more accessible to marginalized communities.
As Instalimb Chief Executive Officer Yutaka Tokushima puts it, “We hope to reach 90 million people in the world, mainly in emerging countries, who cannot afford a prosthetic. Our mission is to deliver prosthetics that are high-quality and affordable to everyone who needs it.”
Prosthetics isn’t just a physical need for these persons with disabilities, but also an emotional, psychological, and social remedy.
As amputee and Instalimb user Jane Caroc Baltazar explained, “When I don’t have this [Instalimb] yet, when I used crutches, it was very hard. I think I will be a burden to my family because I cannot move. My self-esteem is very low. I feel useless.”
“5% of the 15 million with disabilities will need prostheses,” said Dr. Josephine Bundoc, Head of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department of the Philippine General Hospital. “The data showed that only 5-15% of them are able to get prostheses.”
Instalimb’s Sales Executive Manager Larry Laroza added, “In the Philippines, there is a huge demand for prosthetic legs due to multiple reasons like diabetes from poor nutrition, traffic accidents, and victims of landmines. Two major reasons why the spread of prostheses in the Philippines are low are cost and quality.”
As the world’s first 3D printing provider of prosthetics and artificial limbs, Instalimb aims to reach Filipino patients by lowering production costs while maintaining high-quality products using innovations in 3D printing and AI technologies.
Using its 3D scanners, Instalimb can measure a patient’s stump perfectly and use that data as a starting point for custom-fitted prostheses. According to Chief Product Officer Jorena Ruth Isaac Villaverde, an ISPO Certificated Prosthetist & Orthotist, “We have designed a specialized 3D-CAD software to make a prosthesis directly from the scan data. Utilizing this custom software with the expertise of our professional prosthetists, we can make a high-quality socket that fits the amputee stump.”
Instalimb’s specialized 3D printer uses its data, along with patented nanotech from Japan and high-quality plastic composites from the Philippines’ indigenous and raw materials, to fast-track the production process.
“With our process, we can reduce the cost of materials and production time to one-tenth of traditional methods,” stressed Thomas Hurts, Instalimb’s 3D Printer Engineer.
Through this innovative method, Instalimb makes custom-fitted prostheses for as low as $45 or around P2,600. And while these prostheses have to be changed every 2 to 3 years, this requirement is due to anatomical changes in the patient’s stump rather than the quality of the prosthetic.
Instalimb has three product subscriptions in the Philippines today: Endoskeletal Below Knee, Exoskeletal Below Knee, and Endoskeletal Above Knee. Around 600 amputees benefit from Instalimb’s technologies.
“I’m very satisfied,” Baltazar smiled. “It just fits my leg very well and is very light. I can do activities easier. It is shaped like a real leg, so I am no longer mocked by others.”
Richard Charles Alconis, another Instalimb user, echoed her sentiment. “It is so light that I can do a lot of things now, such as household chores and gardening. It is waterproof, so it is also very useful when taking a bath. Instalimb’s prosthetic leg is a very big help for me.”
Even with these successes in innovation, Instalimb isn’t resting on its laurels. Instalimb is currently developing an AI system that aims to replicate the knowledge and techniques of professional prosthetists. So aside from just making measurements, the AI system will eventually be able to make patient-specific adjustments to the prostheses, such as after a test fitting.
Shinichiro Murakami, Instalimb’s Chief Technology Officer, claimed, “We aim to develop a technology that can produce a high-quality and affordable prosthetic leg for wherever it’s needed in the world. Even in a rural area, where there may be no professional prosthetist available.”
These digital and technological developments in healthcare ensure that even the most marginalized areas may be catered to. This is especially significant in a country like the Philippines, where far-flung provinces often lack access to basic healthcare facilities and workers.
Just last October 14, Instalimb emerged as a Top 3 finalist during the Wildfire pitch event for international and late-stage startups held during the culmination of IGNITE 2022 FUSION hybrid conference in Makati City.