Founder Friday with Jana Rieger of True Angle
True Angle is an Edmonton-based startup founded by Dr. Jana Rieger, using personalized exercises and remote clinician monitoring for improved therapy. Their first product, the Mobili-T®, is a mobile, user-friendly health device for individuals with dysphagia to see, learn about, and adhere to their swallowing exercises.
We caught up with Jana to hear what’s new for True Angle, what’s coming up next, insights into what’s happening in the industry, and advice she would give to her past self and up-and-coming women founders.
What’s New
True Angle was heads down and working hard to receive FDA registration for a Class II medical device and clearance as a 510k medical device. This year, they also hit a couple major milestones in securing two patents—strengthening their IP stance significantly.
From a business standpoint, True Angle has shifted to a B2B model from their original D2C model and now has 55 customers in the U.S… and growing!
What’s Next
One of the biggest focuses for True Angle in the coming year is all around scaling their sales. With the customers they currently have—some being notably large health systems—the goal is to expand within their systems.
That expansion of sales is where the True Angle team is lasered into right now, so Mobili-T can help more and more patients.
What Jana Is Excited About Right Now
A huge trend happening in the U.S. and Canada is around the push for health at home.
Directly related to what True Angle does and part of the reason why they created Mobili-T was the difficulty for people to get into the hospital to access it. The health at home trend is especially exciting as healthcare systems in the U.S. (where True Angle’s market is focused) are seeing the benefits of it. Patients love it.
To no surprise, much of the push happened as aftermath of the pandemic:
Recovery in the health system was tough on margins and bottom lines for health systems
Healthcare systems are looking for the best way to save money
Hospitals are continually struggling to have enough staff
True Angle's approach is a win-win for health systems: patients get the convenience of care, and treatment that used to happen in the hospital, including therapy, can now be accomplished at home. The more that can be done to relieve the burden on the personnel crunch, the better.
For True Angle, there's no reason people can't use their product at home—independently or with a caregiver—freeing up time for clinicians and allowing patients to get what they need and where they need it most often.
Advice to Your Past Self & Other Women Founders
"Looking back, I questioned whether I could do this or whether somebody else had to do this for me,” Jana says. “And really, I think what I would say to myself five years ago is just go for it and don't second guess it.”
Going back and forth between should I? or shouldn’t I?, Jana emphasizes that if you have the desire, drive, and motivation, you can do it.
Realize the support systems you have in place. For Jana and True Angle, she leveraged the great networks around them—especially in Alberta and the Canadian government—who helped make the connections they needed into the U.S. and international trade.
"There's just so much support that there's no reason to be so hesitant."
Answering the question how do I do this?, one network will open the door of another, open another, open another. So find that initial one and open that first entrepreneurial door. Think: who's giving you advice? Who are the mentors that are going to guide you?
Five-years-ago-Jana didn’t know the ecosystem as well as she does now, so she asked around and took the time to learn who was out there, what all exists, and found the people she felt could help her.
There may be missteps along the way and pieces that may not feel quite right, but once you find the right group, you’ll feel it. Here we go, this is it!
Take the time to understand the landscape, find the people who really resonate with you, and the bottom line: trust your gut.