“We are presenting our product for the first time to the public, so people can use our device and build their own opinion about it,” said cofounder Christof Hepp. “We expect to find b2b contacts like dealers and partners for distribution.”
First recognitions and important contacts
Earlier this year, the tech startup won the Fast Forward competition, a regional business award for outstanding projects. While prizes are always welcome, of course, for the team of three this experience was much more than just a trophy to showcase. “It gave a great push to the team. We would like to thank our mentors, especially Teresa Riedenbauer for her support. I think as a startup company these awards are even more important, because of the network behind [them].”
The award and the debut at the exhibition in Germany are their first steps towards further market disruption. Sch.epp aims to become a manufacturer for neuro-rehabilitation devices and is currently not interested in investments but in channels to get its product out there. “Raising money will become more important for us in the future. Our company and our team needs to expand to be competitive on the market,” said Christof. At the moment, the team has enough to focus on, as another great challenge approaches in the face of two medical studies for PerPedes. Moreover, yet another exhibition is planned for December at the neuro-rehab conference DGNR in Singen, Germany.
A therapeutic robot
Founded in 2011, sch.epp finished their first functional prototype in 2013 and are supported by the centre for applied technology and FFG. Their robotic-device assists the physiological therapy for people who suffered a neurological illness, such as a stroke, or an injury and need to learn how to walk all over again. PerPedes helps patients by automatically moving their legs in a natural walking motion and aims to reactivate nerves by continuous stimulation.
This story is brought to you in partnership with AplusB, a programme funded by FFG.
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