Reflections from Med Tech Founders with Nan-Wei Gong, Founder and CEO of FIGUR8

As the excitement builds for CES 2025, the global stage for innovation and technology, we are thrilled to highlight a conversation with Nan-Wei Gong, the visionary founder and CEO of FIGUR8 and René Quashie Vice President, Digital Health at the Consumer Technology Association.

CES is known for showcasing groundbreaking advancements, and FIGUR8 is no exception. In this exclusive interview, Nan-Wei shares how FIGUR8’s bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP) is redefining musculoskeletal (MSK) care by creating a common language across providers, patients, and payers. With technology designed to empower clinicians and enhance recovery outcomes, FIGUR8 is paving the way for a future of precision in MSK health.

Please describe what your company does and what role it plays in the healthcare system?

FIGUR8 is a technology company that’s redefining musculoskeletal (MSK) health through precision measurement and data-driven insights. We developed the bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP), which captures objective biomechanical data on joint motion and muscle function in real-time and is a cornerstone in the foundational dataset that feeds into the generative AI tools that our team is able to provide FIGUR8-enabled clinicians. This dataset helps clinicians make more accurate diagnoses, create tailored treatment plans, and monitor patient progress with clear, quantifiable metrics. In a healthcare system where MSK disorders are one of the top cost drivers, FIGUR8 aims to bring clarity and precision to an area that has long relied on subjective assessments and patient reported outcome. Our mission is to create a common language for MSK health, uniting providers, patients, and payers around a shared standard of care.

In the last two years, what has been the environment like for emerging companies like yours?

The environment has been both exciting and challenging for emerging companies like FIGUR8. The healthcare industry is increasingly recognizing the value of data-driven insights and precision tools, especially in areas like MSK care which drive huge costs both financially and physically across all populations. This shift of recognition when it comes to the value of technology integrated care has created an openness to new and changing technologies, but it has also made the landscape more competitive as many companies seek to capitalize on digital health innovation. While there’s great opportunity, it requires resilience and adaptability to stand out, build trust, and make a lasting impact in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.

What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a founder?

One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a founder specifically at FIGUR8 is balancing innovation with market readiness. As an engineer out of the MIT Media lab, pushing the boundaries of what is possible using technology is part of my ethos. Healthcare is a complex landscape and being thoughtful about bringing in technology means ensuring we have decades, not months or years, of research to support the process changes we are forcing to raise the standard of care. FIGUR8 has a unique, groundbreaking technology, and bringing it to a traditional field like MSK care means navigating a complex landscape of healthcare providers, insurance payers, and regulatory requirements.

Another fun challenge founding FIGUR8 has been the constant focus on building a team that aligns with both our technical needs and our mission to transform the standard of care in MSK health. Scaling the team and company culture while maintaining our focus on innovation and quality has been challenging but rewarding. It is important to maintain clinical rigor and consistently contribute a stream of validation via research which means having the right team guide and safeguard our quality processes.

Lastly, educating the market on the importance of objective MSK data and the potential impact of FIGUR8 has required persistence and patience. Artificial Intelligence is exciting, and you see different companies popping up all the time promising to deliver impact. The reality is, FIGUR8 has a foundational dataset of objective MSK health biomarkers that are validated to be comparable to the gold standard in biomechanics data capture. Because of this, our team has the ability to set a new standard of care and reporting in managing joint and muscle health in an unparalleled way.

What are some things you wished you had known when you started your company?

It is hard to say there is much I “wish I had known” since part of being an entrepreneur is embracing what you do not know and enjoying the challenge.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is the importance of being truly human-centered and provider-focused in designing technology. Early on, we were so focused on building an innovative product that it could sometimes be easy to overlook how critical it is to prioritize the day-to-day experiences of healthcare providers who would be using the devices.

The technology was born in a lab that has focused decades of research on wearable and the focus was always data quality. I wish I had known just how essential it is to deeply understand their workflows, pain points, and the nuances of patient care from their perspective. That information has come and empowering the right team members to push for human-centered design has been a huge part of our success. Technology in healthcare can’t just be innovative; it has to fit seamlessly into the provider’s workflow and genuinely enhance their ability to deliver care. By designing with the provider's experience in mind, we build trust, improve adoption, and ultimately create a solution that resonates with both providers and patients. That human-centered approach has been transformative in how FIGUR8 develops technology today.

From your perspective, what are the biggest challenges facing the healthcare system when it comes to technology adoption and innovation?

One of the biggest challenges in healthcare is the fragmented nature of the system, which can make technology and process integration complex. Different stakeholders—providers, payers, regulators—often operate in silos, which can slow down technology adoption. The needs are also different particularly when it comes to the value of the technology.

For example, the type of data and level of detail needed in FIGUR8 reporting is different for a physical therapist, a case manager in insurance and a patient recovering from injury. They all want to understand recovery, but their needs are different. The way the information captured during a recovery assessment is shared has to be personalized to the individual stakeholders level of need and understanding.

Additionally, when it comes to adoption of anything different or new in healthcare there’s a general resistance to change due to the perception that new technologies might disrupt established workflows or add time to patient interactions. In healthcare, any technology needs to show clear, measurable benefits not just for patient outcomes but also in terms of cost savings, efficiency, and quality of care to justify any workflow disruption. Overcoming these hurdles requires consistent education, strong data to demonstrate value, and often, strategic partnerships with established players who can advocate for the technology which luckily has been a relatively smooth process of overcoming since FIGUR8 entered the market.

As you look forward 3-5 years, how do you anticipate technology will have changed healthcare—if at all?

In the next 3-5 years, I anticipate that technology will drive healthcare to become more personalized, predictive, and preventive. Data-driven solutions will empower providers to make faster, more accurate diagnoses and allow patients to take a more active role in their own health. I see the use of wearable and remote monitoring devices becoming the norm, providing real-time insights that will enable early intervention and improve outcomes. I also believe that we’ll see a shift towards value-based care models, where technology like FIGUR8’s objective MSK assessments can help demonstrate outcomes, reduce costs, and improve quality of life for patients. Technology will not only make healthcare more efficient but also more human-centered by creating a common language across the care team, enhancing collaboration, and ultimately elevating the standard of care.

Join FIGUR8 at CES 2025

As CES 2025 approaches, the spotlight is on innovators like Nan-Wei Gong, who are transforming healthcare through cutting-edge technology. Nan-Wei will be taking the stage at CES to discuss how FIGUR8 is setting a new standard in musculoskeletal care, merging data-driven insights with clinical expertise to elevate recovery outcomes. Stay tuned for her presentation at CES and discover how FIGUR8 is shaping the future of healthcare. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the most forward-thinking leaders in the industry!

Interested in learning more about FIGUR8 and raising the standard of care in musculoskeletal health? Reach out to the team at info@FIGUR8tech.com!