Abstract
In 2009, a multidisciplinary team of orthopaedic surgeons, material scientists, and cell biologists created a consortium focused on developing novel biomaterials for cartilage regeneration. After years of hard work across scientific boundaries, the team discovered a solution that could benefit a large number of patients. However, the research team was faced with a question on how to proceed. Whether to continue the scientific path of unravelling the mysteries of cartilage regeneration or to focus on bringing the invention from bench to bedside? The latter would mean commercialisation of the invention, and for the scientists, taking a completely new career path. Taking this turn would mean risking the team members' scientific career, since running a start-up would inevitably mean lesser publications and other scientific merits in the forthcoming years. On the other hand, there was the potential to help a vast amount of patients. The team decided that the invention, a biodegradable weight-adaptive medical device for cartilage regeneration, was too promising to be left aside, so they made the choice to transform from academic researchers to entrepreneurs. Thus, Askel Healthcare Ltd was founded in March 2017. For a start-up operating in medical device sector, the company has a unique feature: the founding team is all-female. Not intentionally, but by a mere “side effect” of gathering the best talents to get the job done. The team continues to foster its strong scientific background, which is a true asset for a company focusing on tackling the big unmet medical need of cartilage regeneration.
