Alter-G uses anti-gravity tech for physical therapy, raises $8M
Medical device maker Alter-G, has an interesting concept for physical therapy: Anti-gravity. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., it offers a special treadmill, called the G-Trainer, that uses air pressure to give patients the feeling of weightlessness as they are moving. And it just landed $8 million in second-round funding to continue growing its operations and market penetration.
The anti-gravity environment is said to allow patients to extend their range of motion while taking strain off joints and other potential injuries. For these reasons, it can also be used to enhance normal performance, not just treat existing damage, the company claims.
Currently targeted at athletes, the technology — which can “lower” body weight to 20 percent — is in use in several collegiate, sports and fitness programs in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company lists NCAA teams at Stanford, USC and UC Berkeley among its clients, as well as the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Golden State Warriors and the Oakland Raiders.
The investment round was provided by Versant Ventures. It raised $2.5 million in first-round funding last June from Frog & Peach Investments, Astrolabe Ventures and Funk Ventures.
Next Story: BiPar snags $20M for inhibitor-based cancer therapies
Previous Story: CES: Are 3-D glasses moving beyond the gimmick stage? Nah
About the Author, Camille Ricketts
Camille is the lead writer for GreenBeat. She came to VentureBeat from Google where she worked on its traditional platforms team, particularly in TV. Before that, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York and London. Follow her on Twitter at @camillericketts, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
With GreenBeat 2009, VentureBeat's all-star conference on all things Smart Grid, coming up in November, Camille will be expanding coverage of this exciting space. Stay up to date by following @greenbeat2009 on Twitter or by becoming a fan of the event on Facebook here.