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Wave Therapeutics
Techstars '21Nashville, US · Founded 2017 · 11 employees on LinkedIn · 3 known investors
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Wave Therapeutics develops active therapeutic wheelchair cushions and related products that use microprocessor-controlled pumps to prevent pressure injuries in mobility-impaired populations including seniors, veterans, and patients with spinal cord injuries. The company also plans to offer mattress toppers, consumer products for long-haul occupations, and military products, all generating analytics to help anticipate and prevent complications.
Also known as Bussert Medical, Inc. · Wave Therapeutics Inc.
Founders & leadership
Wave Therapeutics was founded in 2017 by Jessica Bussert.
Investors · 3
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How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
How we know: press coverage · research · finsmes.com · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Wave Therapeutics is a healthtech company developing active therapeutic cushioning products intended to reduce the risk of pressure injuries (bedsores), adverse clotting, leg pain and cramping. Its first product is an active therapeutic wheelchair cushion, described in later coverage as the patented Surf Wheelchair Cushion, built around a microprocessor-controlled peristaltic pump that is designed to eliminate pressure "hot spots", reperfuse compressed tissues and improve return blood flow to the heart and lungs. The company pairs the cushions with an analytics platform supporting remote patient monitoring by staff or family members, intended to track compliance with prescribed care and pressure buildup.
Planned extensions include second-generation cushions with sensor arrays that detect changes in skin temperature or moisture to flag early skin damage, malfunction sensors and alarms, and a wireless staff alert system for falls, medical emergencies and suspected elopements. The company has also described a broader product roadmap covering mattress toppers, surgical beds, consumer products for long-haul drivers, frequent fliers and office workers, and a military product for flight and transport crews. Wave Therapeutics operates as a division of Bussert Medical, Inc. and identifies itself as an SBA Certified Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business. Public listings variously describe it as AI-enabled soft robotics cushioning technology and categorize it under healthcare technology, big data/analytics, consumer hardware and robotics.
Founding story
The founder, a registered nurse, was prompted to develop the cushion after caring for a military veteran who was near death from infected bed sores but could not afford the treatment he had been prescribed. The company positions its work around making pressure-injury prevention and treatment affordable and accessible, citing that pressure injuries afflict about 3 million Americans annually.
Business model
The company designs and manufactures smart cushioning devices sold alongside an analytics and remote monitoring platform, targeting long-term and acute care facilities as well as individual at-risk users. It has stated it manufactures in Indiana and builds products efficiently in order to keep pricing accessible.
Traction
Reported milestones include a $500,000 raise from investors announced in January 2020, clinical trials on the blood-flow aspect of the technology scheduled to begin in December 2020, selection to the TechCrunch 2024 Startup Battlefield 200, and a seed investment from Nurse Capital in November 2024. A TechCrunch profile listed $1M raised as of January 1, 2025.
Latest developments
In November 2024 the company received an undisclosed seed investment from Nurse Capital to expand operations and development efforts, and was recognized in TechCrunch's 2024 Startup Battlefield 200. As of January 2025 its TechCrunch profile listed the company as open and currently raising.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, risks & controversies
Market position
Positioned as an affordable alternative to existing pressure-injury prevention products, with the stated value proposition of reducing hospitalization stays and treatment costs, increasing reimbursements and limiting legal liability for care facilities.
Technology
At the core of each device is a microprocessor-controlled peristaltic pump that pulses to relieve localized pressure and promote reperfusion of tissues and venous return. The approach combines clinically recognized therapies with a patented (earlier described as patent-pending) analytics platform; later descriptions characterize the system as AI-enabled soft robotics cushioning. Planned second-generation hardware adds sensor arrays for skin temperature and moisture, malfunction alarms, and wireless caregiver alerting.
Go-to-market
The company planned to launch medical products first, with a soft launch indicated for spring 2023, and has pursued visibility through startup programs, including participation in the TechCrunch 2024 Startup Battlefield 200 and an association with Techstars reported in funding coverage.
Mobility-impaired populations including seniors, veterans, people with spinal cord injuries and short-term patients, plus long-term and acute care facilities and families; future consumer segments identified include long-haul drivers, frequent fliers, office workers, and military flight and transport crews.
Geography
Listed addresses include Nashville, Indiana, with manufacturing stated to be in Indiana; a 2024 funding report describes the company as Chicago, Illinois-based.
Risks & controversies
Public sources describe differing founding years (2017, 2019 and 2020) and headquarters locations (Nashville, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois), and the company has characterized the circulatory benefit of its product as a hypothesis pending clinical trials.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 1
Companies working in the same space as Wave Therapeutics.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsWave Therapeutics was included in TechCrunch's 2024 Startup Battlefield 200 cohort.
Wave Therapeutics received an undisclosed investment from Nurse Capital as part of its seed round, to be used to expand operations and development efforts.
The company indicated a soft launch of its medical products planned for spring 2023, with manufacturing in Indiana.
The company stated that clinical trials assessing whether its cushion improves return blood flow were scheduled to begin in December 2020.
A press release posted on the company's site announced that the Brown County, Indiana company had drawn $500,000 from investors for its bedsore-prevention technology.
$500K source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Wave Therapeuticswavetherapeuticsinc.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Wave Therapeutics do?
- Healthtech developer of smart, active therapeutic cushions and analytics designed to prevent pressure injuries such as bedsores.
- Who founded Wave Therapeutics?
- Wave Therapeutics was founded by Jessica Bussert in 2017.
- Who are Wave Therapeutics's investors?
- Wave Therapeutics's investors include Elevate Ventures, Techstars, Nurse Capital.
- Where is Wave Therapeutics headquartered?
- Wave Therapeutics is headquartered in Nashville, US.