Flexmotiv

Market position

Flexmotiv operates in the Indian mobility-aid market, where the founders say most conventional crutches are imported from China and Taiwan and retail for Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,400. Named domestic players include Karma, Vissco and Tynor, several of which import rather than manufacture, alongside ALIMCO, a government body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that produces basic crutches.

The company positions Flexmo against conventional crutches, which the founders describe as having largely rigid tips that are prone to slipping. Flexmo instead uses a foot-like tip design drawn from prosthetic legs used by runners and mountaineers, with front and back rubber grips intended to maintain contact if one grip slips, and shock absorption at heel contact.

Technology

The Flexmo crutch tip is modelled on the human foot rather than the rigid tips common on existing crutches. The heel section grips and absorbs shock at contact, while the toe section adds grip and cushions landing; two rubber grips, front and back, are intended to preserve traction if one loses grip. Early prototypes were produced on a 3D printer and iterated on the basis of user feedback about suspension and springiness.

Go-to-market

Initial distribution was planned through NGOs, with an August 2019 launch for that channel at reduced pricing and a further launch planned for December 3, the International Day of Disabled Persons. The founders also reported discussions with the armed forces on potential collaboration.

People with mobility impairments who rely on crutches, including amputees and polio-affected users, reached initially via NGOs; the founders also cited talks with the armed forces.

Geography

The company is based in India, incubated at IIT Delhi, with prototype validation carried out at AIIMS Delhi and manufacturing through a partner in Indore.

History

Srinivas Adepu began working on an improved crutch tip while in his first semester of a Masters in mechanical design at IIT Delhi, after a friend injured his ankle playing basketball and struggled with conventional crutches. He and Arvind Suresh Ambalapuzha, who shared the same lab and had met earlier through treks Arvind organised, entered an in-house competition together and then applied to the Tech4Raj idea competition (Rs 50,000) and an IIT Delhi Industrial Research Department call (Rs 1 lakh) in January 2017, winning both. Flexmotiv was established in 2017. With the Rs 1.5 lakh in prize funding the team bought a 3D printer and built prototypes, which they took to AIIMS Delhi for clinician feedback. A first prototype was given to an early test user in June 2017 and a revised version in July 2017 following her feedback on suspension and springiness. Girish Yadav joined as the third co-founder in January 2018.