D-Rev is a non-profit product development company that delivers products to peopleliving on less than $4 a day.  They also happen to be our Invention Hub neighbor in the Dogpatch with an office right around the corner.  I invited Krista Donaldson, their CEO, over for a visit.  She showed me the latest design of ReMotion, a high-performance affordable knee joint for the developing world. The knee joint is the most expensive component in a prothesis solution for amputees.

The product is an amazing design achievement, but the real hurdles and accomplishments have turned out to be in the financial models, licensing deals, and manufacturing arrangements needed to create a market for the solution.  They’ve learned that product isn’t enough.  You must go beyond that to innovate supply chains and procurement systems.  You can read about their learning experience in this NYT piece.