Health care startup tech2people now owns third exoskeleton

Vienna-based health startup tech2people is an Austria-wide therapy center that offers robotics-assisted physiotherapy on an outpatient basis.

After corona-related declines in therapy units, tech2people, which is currently still based at Divine Savior Hospital, recorded its highest utilization rate since the company's inception in 2018, surpassing the previous high set in February 2020 by nearly 15 percent in September.

Tech2people: Outpatient therapies hardly possible due to pandemic

"Our rehab units plummeted abruptly as of March 2020. The high pandemic requirements have made it almost impossible for our already sensitive target group to consistently continue their outpatient therapy with us at the Center. This now seems to be a thing of the past, as therapy bookings show that we are experiencing an average occupancy rate this year that is 11 percent higher than before Corona," explains founder Gregor Demblin. "In fact, in September, we exceeded our record by almost 15 percent."

Flagship robot "exoskeleton" has tripled in size

The good demand for the robotics-assisted therapy units meant that tech2people is now the proud owner of the third exoskeleton, a 150,000 euro device that - when attached to the body - enables people with paraplegia to undergo walking training and relieves the strain on their internal organs by regularly standing upright.

"Nothing about the human body is designed for sitting all day," Demblin knows from personal experience, having been a paraplegic himself since an accident. "If you are forced to do this due to paralysis, the immobility leads to many secondary diseases, such as osteoporosis or problems with the digestive tract. Regular outpatient training can do an extremely great deal here - in addition to the actual rehabilitation effect."

New therapies from tech2people

But tech2people is also continuing to expand its therapy offerings in other areas. For example, outpatient shoulder, hand, arm and leg rehabilitation with specially developed robots are now part of the equipment.

"We are only at the beginning. We are currently planning one of the most modern therapy centers for neurorehabilitation and physiotherapy in the whole of Europe in the Urban Lakeside. Here we are investing a total of 3.6 million," says Demblin. The opening is planned for spring 2023.

Source: Health care startup tech2people now owns third exoskeleton | brutkasten (17.10.2022)