Spinal Simplicity
eGrowth Ventures Equity Spotlight
Overland Park, KS
Population: 202,000 Spinal Simplicity headquarters
eGrowth Ventures (eGV), a business unit of Network Kansas, supports entrepreneurship in the state by investing into startups across Kansas. Spinal Simplicity is a notable example of the impact eGV makes in the local venture capital ecosystem. Established in 2008 in Overland Park, by neurosurgeon Dr. Harold Hess and orthopedic entrepreneur Todd Moseley, Spinal Simplicity focuses on creating simple, effective solutions for complex spinal conditions, prioritizing patient care and minimally invasive techniques. In 2011, the company released their first approved product, the Minuteman, enabling them to enter the global medical device market. Minimally invasive techniques, like those used in the Minuteman, require only a small incision, preserving musculature and enabling rapid recovery, often within two to three weeks. Because of the optimized recovery, Spinal Simplicity’s products have proven to drive rapid adoption by leading orthopedic and interventional pain physicians across the world. Scaling at this rate cannot be done without investors who believe in the mission and are willing to put dollars behind it. As an early
investor through the Capital Multiplier Fund, Network Kansas has supported the company’s growth trajectory over the last eight years. Since our first investment in 2017, we have continued to support Spinal Simplicity’s mission through additional follow-on investments and new investments from our GrowKS equity programs. In an interview with the eGV team, Jonathan Hess, VP of Finance and Investor Relations, expressed his appreciation for other programs the state of Kansas offers. “As we started crafting our business plan and learning how to raise capital in the local ecosystem, [we were] introduced to the Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit Program. That was a phenomenal opportunity for us. We still have investors asking about it.” The Kansas Angel Investor Tax Credit is offered by the Kansas Department of Commerce. “We’ve also had some wonderful angel investor groups along the way, including Accelerate Venture Partners with NXTUS. They have really allowed us to extend our network within the state of Kansas.” The company’s leadership team has spent the last fourteen years innovating and have released five products outside of their flagship technology.
“Spinal Simplicity has been a great company to work with because of their impactful mission and strong Kansas commitment.” —Thomas Papadatos, eGrowth Ventures 9 23
Celebrating
years