19. Strolll: the world-leading medical device for neurological disorders

Founders: Tom Finn and Jorgen Ellis
Year founded: 2019
Website: strolll.co

It’s a rarity that we have a startup reappearing in the Startups 100 Index not once, not twice, but three years in a row. However, Strolll is that rare startup in which the founders combine innovative technology with impressive growth — without losing sight of their core mission.

If you don’t know the story, Strolll was founded by Tom Finn after he took time out to help care for his dad, Nigel, who has vascular parkinsonism. He discovered that painting a few coloured lines (called “cues” in scientific notation) dramatically reduced Nigel’s mobility symptoms.

Since then, Strolll has gone from kitchen table prototype to a futuristic-looking AR headset you can order on the web. Those who suffer from neurological disorders can wear these glasses to have the same cues projected into rehab sessions, but also at home, turning every location into a potential therapeutic area.

The default rehab service is an inefficient use of valuable clinician time and clinic space.

To ensure that its product remains scalable and affordable, Strolll sells via healthcare providers (including four NHS trusts) rather than marketing direct-to-consumer (D2C). Its most recent partnership is with Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest hospitals in the US and now technically Strolll’s US headquarters as it continues its stateside expansion this year. 

Last year, those plans received a major boost when Strolll debuted at a medtech conference. Immediately after, the company found itself inundated with pre-orders.

That demand should tell you how necessary the Strolll technology is. “The default rehab service is an inefficient use of valuable clinician time and clinic space,” say the founders. This, they argue, results in low-dosage, high cost treatment and high levels of staff burnout.

With encouraging signs of acceptance from the healthcare sector, Strolll is now targeting national adoption in the UK. It’s an ambition that also chimes with the Prime Minister’s pledge to move the NHS from ‘analogue to digital’.

Two years ago, Strolll told Startups it wanted to be the world-leading medical device company for digital physiotherapy. Now, that prognosis looks close to becoming a diagnosis. Welcome back to the Startups 100 Index, Strolll!