In a first-of-its-kind investment, the University of California San Diego is offering seed funding directly to one of its most promising startups, LIMBER Prosthetics and Orthotics. It is the first time a campus in the University of California system has ever invested directly in one of its own spinoffs. The $250,000 seed investment will help LIMBER meet product-development milestones and attract follow-on investment and gives the university a financial stake in the company’s success. LIMBER makes the UniLeg transtibial prosthesis, the world’s first single piece, 3D-printed lower-limb device. LIMBER also won the top prize of $200,000 at the San Diego Angel Conference in April.
The company was launched in 2020 by then UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering students Joshua Pelz, PhD, and Luca De Vivo Nicoloso, PhD, along with Herb Barrack, CPO. Its patent-pending advanced digital technology uses 3D scanning, digital design, and 3D printing to improve access to functional and personalized prostheses for people around the world—especially those in underserved communities and war-scarred nations. The company has delivered 32 prosthetic legs to 28 people in three countries, including five people injured in the war in Ukraine.
“UC San Diego is an innovation powerhouse, and this milestone investment is a testament to our campus-wide commitment to championing our high-impact innovators and providing them with the support they need to turn groundbreaking research into solutions for societal good, all while strengthening our global economy,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.
“The LIMBER team is honored to receive this seed funding. It has helped build the momentum we needed to reach additional investors,” said Pelz, CEO. “Our digital approach to prosthetic manufacturing will democratize global access to quality prosthetic care. The entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem at UC San Diego provided us the tools we needed to take our technology from the lab to the global marketplace.”
The university’s Institute for the Global Entrepreneur (IGE) served as a crucial early-stage incubator for LIMBER’s founders, providing access to paid interns, marketing support, professional mentors, grant writing support, and more. IGE also helped the LIMBER team obtain a National Science Foundation I-CORPS grant to support customer discovery.
To read about the company’s angel investment prize in April, visit LIMBER P&O Awarded $200,000.
Editor’s note: This story was adapted from materials provided by UC San Diego.
