Dr. David Kay
Dr. David Kay, an orthopedic surgeon by training and entrepreneur by calling, started OrthoHelix Surgical Designs Inc. in 2004 to develop and market a comprehensive set of instruments and implants for use in foot, ankle and hand reconstruction surgery. Since 2005, the company has raised more than $28 million, including the addition in April 2010 of $4.6 million to its third fundraising round.
David attributes part of the company’s success to collaborative work with a number of organizations across Northeast Ohio, including its symbiotic relationship with the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron.
David also notes the company’s proximity to Ohio’s Centers of Excellence in Biomedicine and Health Care as key to success. The University of Akron and Case Western Reserve University have developed half of the OrthoHelix workforce—from internships to full-time engineers. The company has 45 employees today.
“We’re helping to retain and attract high-tech talent in Northeast Ohio,” he says. “It’s palpable how excited people are to be here.”
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