Academy Medtech Ventures (AMV) is a firm focused on leading the future of human-focused health technology. It believes the brain is an opportunistic vehicle for optimizing rehabilitative and wellness outcomes. Pulse 2.0 interviewed AMV president and co-founder JJ Mosolf to learn more about AMV.
JJ Mosolf’s Background
What is JJ Mosolf’s background? Mosolf said:
“Before AMV, my experience was in leading and scaling other digital healthcare companies to solve gaps in various industry subcategories. As a former D1 athlete, I’ve overcome my fair share of injuries and conditions, including a serious medical emergency that involved several misdiagnoses and significant recovery time. As such, I have a strong personal connection to the role physical rehabilitation plays in quality of life. I recognize the importance of creating effective, efficient strategies to help patients reclaim their health.”
“Serving previously as Executive Vice President of Sports Academy, I developed an understanding of the need healthcare and medical organizations have for tools that drive efficiency and revenue. I set out to pursue a career as a medical professional, getting my start in orthopedic and integrated medical environments. I’ve since shifted my pursuits to be more entrepreneurial as I want to enact systemic change in physical rehabilitation.”
Evolution of AMV’s Thesis
How has your firm’s thesis evolved over time? Mosolf noted:
“Growing interest in continuum extension plays via CMS guidance around value-based care – and the implications of that guidance on traditional healthcare models – has driven the primary evolution in our thesis.”
“While we’ve recognized the value in extending care through remote digital health capabilities, we’ve seen a marked shift towards this being the focal point of healthcare transformation for many systems. In response, we’ve accelerated our path to remote solutions and will be releasing several innovative product lines to market within the coming months intended to address exactly this.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for your firm so far? Mosolf reflected:
“I had the privilege of working in Outpatient & Inpatient PT clinics regularly as we began piloting our technology. My memories of working hand-in-hand with clinicians on challenging case presentations and seeing the impact of our solutions left an indelible imprint on me. Even today – roughly three years after our journey began – I am most energized while training people in the field and promoting the impact we set out to achieve when we started.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of your firm’s most significant milestones? Mosolf cited:
“In August 2023, we acquired computer vision assets from Altis Movement Technologies. These assets provide real-time, on-screen movement instruction and correction to users through a realistic 3D avatar of the user. The milestone helped us improve patient outcomes through greater access to technological resources during and between physical rehabilitation sessions and streamlined data collection and organization processes from a facility standpoint. Furthermore, this technology removes a significant burden from clinicians dealing with disproportionate patient loads and responsibilities long before the pandemic exacerbated this issue.”
“We’ve also seen significant success with our flagship platform, Cog PT, through its deployment in 40 physical therapy clinics across Texas. This multimodal technology prompts patients to complete virtual cognitive exercises in tandem with physical ones for a holistic brain + body approach. It has not only helped patients recover more efficiently but also improved the bottom line for facilities and received an encouraging approval rating from clinicians.”
Investment Success Stories
After asking Mosolf about investment success stories, he highlighted:
“Our acquisition of the Altis assets – formerly geared toward consumer fitness – was a key inflection point in our company’s growth. Timing counts in this business. We were the beneficiaries of great timing and remarkable technological synergies that set us up for success with this investment. Now – nearly 9 months post-acquisition, we are fully integrated and going to market with several innovative product lines that accelerated our strategic roadmap by leaps and bounds.”
Industry Focus
What are some of the industries that your firm is focused on? Mosolf pointed out:
“Our technology can be applied to a variety of care settings and sub-industries within healthcare and physical rehabilitation. We’ve seen promising results in our pilot program that primarily focused on physical therapy clinics, but also see applications in categories including occupational therapy, cancer recovery, and chronic disease management.”
Differentiation From Other Firms
What differentiates AMV from other firms? Mosolf affirmed:
“While brain training, or cognitive exercises that stimulate different neural pathways, has been gaining traction in recent years, very few other platforms exist that integrate such a comprehensive brain + body approach when considering physical rehabilitation practices. In recent history, the conversation has primarily revolved around physical exercises to stimulate recovery. Though squats, stretches, massages, weight training, and other therapeutic modalities support a patient’s recovery, training typically doesn’t account for the significant cognitive load that daily activities take. Cog PT – as well as our forthcoming technological innovations – was designed to consider both the physical and cognitive elements, as both are paramount to the recovery process.”
“In addition to the impact on patients, our platforms positively affect the facility and clinician side, helping to simplify the organization of data and patient oversight – both during and between sessions. Compared to other companies in the space, AMV is proud to provide a solution that effectively benefits all parties involved, and has been embraced by top physicians to patients, and everyone in between who interacts with the healthcare system.”
Challenges Faced
What are some of the challenges Mosolf faced while working at the firm? Mosolf acknowledged:
“Our biggest challenge to date has been navigating the pace discrepancy between a small, agile startup and large, slow-moving healthcare organizations. It may sound cliche, but the authentic relationships and trust we built with the clinician base allowed us to carry through and ultimately contract with our target client.”
Future Goals
What are some of your firm’s future goals? Mosolf concluded:
“We have big plans in the next few years to make effective physical rehabilitation tools accessible to larger cohorts of people primarily by deploying our technology to additional clinics and healthcare settings. We’re also excited to drive partnerships with organizations that share similar goals of making this technology more mainstream for patients. Lastly, funding will continue to be a focus as we establish ourselves as a major player in the industry.”
