Devices & Diagnostics

Ergonomic crutch maker Mobi raises $573,000; in quest of $1.2M

Ergonomic crutch manufacturer Mobi LLC is seeking $1.2 million of which nearly half has been […]

Ergonomic crutch manufacturer Mobi LLC is seeking $1.2 million of which nearly half has been raised, according to a regulatory filing.

The Minnesota company makes the Mobilegs Universal and the Mobilegs Ultra crutches that can be bought on the Mobi website for $69.99 and $129.99 respectively. The company is trying to expand availability of its products through clinics, hospitals, surgical centers and durable medical dealers.

The money will be used to promote the company’s products, enhance web sales and prepare for the launch of a cane in the second quarter — Mobistick — said John White, the CEO of the company.

He said since the Mobilegs crutches were launched in June, the company has sold several thousands to people whose mobility has been hampered due to injury or aging. In the second half of last year, the company had less than $1 million in revenue and White projected the company will garner “significantly more than $1 million” in 2012.

He added that he has been surprised by the emotional response of some customers to the Mobilegs crutches. One mother who had been upset that her teenage son had sunk into depression after a traumatic injury said that the Mobilegs crutch had given her her son back.

“The unsolicited feedback on our Facebook page is remarkable and that’s what keeps us going,” White said.

Mobi is the brainchild of Jeffrey Weber, a former industrial designer. In a 2010 interview with MedCity News, Weber said that he was spurred to create a better crutch after he had taken a fall from a retaining wall while gardening. He broke his heel and had to be on traditional clutches.

Weber, who specializes in designing worker-friendly office furniture, couldn’t help but hate his crutches.

 “Comfort is the absence of awareness,” Weber said. With crutches, you certainly are aware of the pinched nerves, skin irritation, bruised rib cages and achy wrists, he said.

Plus, “they’re just damn ugly,” Weber said.

On Friday, White said that the goal of Mobi is to launch a product line of assisted mobility devices. After the cane is launched in the second quarter, Mobi has plans for a walker as well.

“That is further out — we are just in the R&D phase,” he said.

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