Defender

Defender is a medical technology company focused on providing solutions for complex foot conditions, particularly diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). The company was founded by Dr. Jason Hanft, a podiatric surgeon with over 30 years of experience in limb salvage and wound care. Dr. Hanft's personal experience with a severe foot injury, which required him to use the very devices he prescribed to patients, gave him firsthand insight into their shortcomings and inspired him to create better products.

The company's approach centers on creating user-friendly, effective, and aesthetically considered medical devices to improve patient compliance and, consequently, healing outcomes. This philosophy led to a collaboration with Michael DiTullo, a renowned industrial designer with experience at Nike and Converse, to blend clinical efficacy with modern footwear design. The development of their flagship product, the Foot Defender®, involved over five years of research and 39 iterations.

Defender's primary market consists of patients with DFUs, a serious complication of diabetes that leads to a significant number of amputations annually. The business operates on a multi-channel sales model. Initially focused on fragmented medical distribution channels, the company expanded to a direct-to-consumer strategy, selling its products through its website and on platforms like Amazon and Walmart to improve patient access. It also offers a direct-to-patient subscription model for its connected-care services and wholesale pricing for medical professionals.

The core product, the Foot Defender®, is a protective boot engineered to reduce pressure on the foot by up to 50% more than competing devices, thereby accelerating wound healing. Building on this, Defender has developed the Smart Boot®, which integrates wearable sensor technology to monitor patient activity, compliance, and pressure distribution in real-time. This data is sent to a physician's dashboard and a patient-facing app, enabling remote patient monitoring, coaching, and timely interventions. The company is expanding this connected ecosystem into the Defender DFU Patient Platform, which will include future products like a Smart Sandal and Smart Insoles to provide a full continuum of care from treatment to prevention. The company is actively seeking investment to scale this platform.

Keywords: diabetic foot ulcer, DFU treatment, wound care, medical device, protective boot, remote patient monitoring, smart boot, podiatry, limb salvage, offloading boot, foot protection, chronic disease management, medtech, digital health, therapeutic footwear, telehealth, patient compliance, Jason Hanft, Michael DiTullo, foot care solutions