WheelAir set to join the 2021 cohort of the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute Accelerator
Glasgow-based WheelAir has joined the 2021 cohort of the Canadian Praxis Spinal Cord Institute Accelerator, a six-month commercialisation program geared towards healthcare start-up companies with a product ready to launch into market that will transform the lives of people living with spinal cord injury (SCI).
The cohort for 2021 encompasses companies across the key spinal cord injury focus areas, which represent a variety of backgrounds and have already demonstrated significant traction in their fields.
Throughout the program, which runs from April to September, WheelAir and the other companies will obtain expert knowledge on research topics such as SCI, knowledge translation, direct consumer engagement, and commercialization, as well as specialized coaching in regulatory issues, reimbursement, market validation and sales strategy.
Managing Director, Corien Staels, Managing Director for WheelAir told THIIS: “We are delighted to have been selected as part of the Praxis SCI Accelerate Cohort 2021 alongside three inspiring companies.
“It offers us the chance to learn from some of the leading experts on SCI and gain invaluable insights into the healthcare commercialisation process in North America.
“The Accelerate programme is almost tailor made for WheelAir considering our aim as a healthcare start-up is to improve the daily lives of wheelchair users, including those with SCI. It is rare to find such a good fit, both commercially and medically, for our ambitions as a company and we are very excited to get started!”
Wheelair’s inclusion in Praxis SCI Accelerate program marks another step in the firm’s growth, having only entered the market with its wheelchair user cooling technology in 2017.
Focused on preventing issues caused by overheating and over-sweating, WheelAir’s systems disperse air evenly across wheelchair users’ backs, helping individuals to regulate their temperature, as well as keep skin dry and clean.
Over its relatively short time in the market, the Scottish start-up firm has enjoyed continued success, bolstering its team with clinical expertise, expanding its product range with new models, as well as establishing a wholly-owned subsidiary in Holland earlier this year.
