Winter Innovations
Winter Innovations is a medical device company that develops and sells the FDA-cleared EasyWhip® two-part needle system and StitchStand™ graft prep station for orthopedic surgeons performing ligament and tendon repair surgeries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersKnoxville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Winter Innovations does
Winter Innovations is a Knoxville, Tennessee-based medical device company founded in 2017 by Lia Winter (CEO) and Preston Dishner (COO) while pursuing graduate degrees at the University of Tennessee. The company develops and commercializes simple, purpose-built tools for orthopedic ligament and tendon reconstruction surgery, with its flagship product being the FDA 510(k)-cleared EasyWhip® — a patented two-part needle system consisting of a sharp-tipped Needle and a blunt-tipped Insert attached to opposite ends of a suture. This architecture enables surgeons to perform standard whip stitches, the proprietary WhipLock™ stitch (which requires 50% fewer needle passes than traditional locking stitches while delivering improved biomechanical strength), and hybrid stitch patterns using a single device. The product portfolio expanded in December 2024 with the launch of StitchStand™, a graft preparation station with interchangeable clamps designed to work alongside EasyWhip during graft preparation.
Winter Innovations firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Winter Innovations
- Legal name
- Winter Innovations, Inc.
- Website
- https://winter-innovations.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Winter Innovations is a medical device company that develops and sells the FDA-cleared EasyWhip® two-part needle system and StitchStand™ graft prep station for orthopedic surgeons performing ligament and tendon repair surgeries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Winter Innovations industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Orthopedic Surgical Devices
- NAICS
- Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing (339112)
- SIC
- Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Surgical Navigation, Robotics & Patient-Matched Instrumentation (Ortho/Spine) (HLAHAEAL)
Keywords
Where Winter Innovations is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Winter Innovations business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- EasyWhip Surgical Device Sales: Winter Innovations generates revenue through the sale of its FDA-cleared EasyWhip two-part needle system and StitchStand product line to orthopedic surgeons and healthcare systems for use in ligament and tendon repair surgeries.
- StitchStand Product Line: Revenue from the StitchStand graft preparation stand, which includes various clamps and accessories for orthopedic surgery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Demo Kit - available for surgeon and sales representative demonstration |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Winter Innovations product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Winter Innovations develops and sells FDA-cleared orthopedic surgical devices for ligament and tendon reconstruction. Its flagship EasyWhip® is a patented two-part needle system (a sharp Needle and blunt Insert attached to opposite ends of a suture) that enables multiple stitch techniques including whip, WhipLock™, and hybrid patterns with a single device. The company also sells StitchStand™, a graft preparation stand with interchangeable clamps, used together with EasyWhip during orthopedic surgery.
Product overview
Winter Innovations is a medical device company offering a focused portfolio of orthopedic surgical tools centered on its patented two-part needle technology. The core product EasyWhip® is an FDA-cleared two-part suturing needle system that enables multiple stitch techniques (whip stitch, WhipLock™, and hybrid patterns) with a single device. The StitchStand™ is a graft preparation stand designed to work seamlessly with EasyWhip®, providing stability and control for efficient graft preparation. Together, these products address soft tissue stitching and securing needs in orthopedic surgeries including ligament and tendon repair procedures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EasyWhip®: Patented two-part needle system for orthopedic surgery suturing
- StitchStand™
- WhipLock™
- EasyGuide™
Products and services
- EasyWhip® FDA 510(k)-cleared patented two-part needle system (Needle and Insert attached to opposite ends of a suture) for orthopedic surgeons performing ligament and tendon repair. Enables standard whip stitch, proprietary WhipLock™ stitch, and hybrid stitch patterns with a single device, allowing true whip stitching around fixed tissue.
- StitchStand™ FDA-cleared preparation stand with interchangeable clamps (Alligator, Vampire, Allis) that securely holds soft tissue grafts during preparation, providing stability and control for efficient orthopedic surgery workflow in conjunction with EasyWhip®.
- EasyWhip® Demo Kit Hands-on demonstration kit that includes one EasyWhip® two-part needle and a synthetic tendon for stitching practice, available for request by surgeons and sales representatives to evaluate EasyWhip® before purchase.
Quantifiable outcome
- WhipLock stitch requires 50% fewer needle passes compared to traditional locking stitches
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Winter Innovations
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Winter Innovations technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Winter Innovations partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Johnson & JohnsoncoreJohnson & Johnson served as a strategic industry sponsor for Winter Innovations' participation in the MedTech Innovator 2025 cohort. Through this sponsorship, Mina Kabiri from Johnson & Johnson served as the company's value coach, helping refine EasyWhip's value proposition, map key stakeholders, quantify value delivered to each stakeholder, and develop a roadmap for ongoing clinical and economic evidence generation.
- Zimmer BiometcoreZimmer Biomet served as a strategic industry sponsor for Winter Innovations' participation in the MedTech Innovator 2025 cohort, providing strategic guidance and industry expertise throughout the accelerator program.
- Foundation for Orthopaedic Research and Education (FORE)coreFORE is a key research partner conducting biomechanical studies on EasyWhip. Researchers including Miguel Diaz and Eric Cohen have collaborated on multiple peer-reviewed publications demonstrating EasyWhip's performance in Achilles tendon repair, quadriceps tendon autograft, and other orthopedic applications. This partnership has helped establish clinical evidence supporting hospital system approvals.
- FIVE Labs TampaminorFIVE Labs (located in Tampa, Florida) collaborates with Winter Innovations and FORE on ongoing research testing EasyWhip in new surgical applications.
- MedTech InnovatorcoreMedTech Innovator is the world's largest medical technology accelerator. Winter Innovations was selected for the 2025 cohort (64 companies from ~1,500 applicants) and the 2026 alumni network. The program provides mentorship, strategic guidance, investor access, and $800,000 in non-dilutive funding awards. Alumni have collectively raised $10+ billion.
- Springboard EnterprisesminorSelected for Springboard Enterprises Life Sciences Innovation Program (2021), which supports women-led healthcare companies with mentorship and investor connections.
- Tampa Bay WaveminorSelected for Tampa Bay Wave TechX accelerator (2020), which provided early-stage support and investor introductions that led to relationships with researchers at FORE and hospital system partnerships in Florida.
- Creative Destruction LabminorCompleted the Creative Destruction Lab-Wisconsin Health and Wellness Accelerator Program (2022), focused on scaling healthcare ventures.
- ZeroTo510minorSelected for ZeroTo510 medical device accelerator (2019), Memphis-based program supporting early-stage medical technology companies.
- University of Tennessee Haslam College of BusinessminorAnderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEI) at UT has featured Winter Innovations in brand videos and provided support through programs like the Boyd Venture Challenge and Vol Court pitch competition where Lia Winter won funding.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Winter Innovations competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arthrex: Arthrex is the world's largest privately-held orthopedic sports medicine company and a dominant maker of suture anchors, FiberWire sutures, and soft tissue repair instruments. It is the closest direct peer to Winter Innovations' EasyWhip two-part needle for ligament and tendon reconstruction.
- Surgical Specialties (a B. Braun company): Surgical Specialties, now part of B. Braun, manufactures specialty sutures and surgical needles for ophthalmic, plastic, and orthopedic surgery. Directly comparable as a specialty surgical needle and suture manufacturer serving similar procedural use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Smith & Nephew: Smith & Nephew is a major global orthopedic and sports medicine company with products like HEALIX suture anchors and Q-Fix for soft tissue repair. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping sports medicine and soft tissue suturing offerings.
- Stryker: Stryker is a large medical device company with an extensive sports medicine portfolio including suture anchors, allografts, and arthroscopic instruments used in the same orthopedic soft tissue repair procedures Winter Innovations targets.
- Johnson & Johnson (DePuy Synthes Mitek Sports Medicine): Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Mitek Sports Medicine division is a global leader in arthroscopic and soft tissue repair, with a broad suture anchor and tissue fixation portfolio. Most directly comparable as a broad incumbent in orthopedic soft tissue repair, and a current strategic sponsor of Winter Innovations.
- Zimmer Biomet: Zimmer Biomet is a major orthopedic medical device company with a sports medicine division (formerly Cayenne Medical) that offers suture anchors and soft tissue repair devices used in ligament and tendon reconstruction. Current strategic sponsor of Winter Innovations.
- Conmed: Conmed is a surgical device and sports medicine company with a portfolio that includes arthroscopic instruments, suture anchors, and the formerly independent Parcus Medical suture product line. Comparable as a broad incumbent in sports medicine and orthopedic surgical tools.
- Integra LifeSciences: Integra LifeSciences is a medical device company with an orthopedic and surgical instruments portfolio serving extremity surgery, sports medicine, and general orthopedics. Comparable as a broad incumbent in orthopedic surgical tools and devices.
Emerging players
- Anika Therapeutics: Anika Therapeutics is a smaller orthopedic and sports medicine company that acquired Arthrosurface, focused on joint preservation and soft tissue solutions. Comparable as a smaller, more focused emerging player in orthopedic soft tissue repair adjacent to Winter Innovations' niche.
- Embody: Embody is a privately-held emerging orthopedic soft tissue company developing regenerative and soft tissue repair products for sports medicine indications. Comparable as a similarly-sized emerging player focused on orthopedic soft tissue repair innovation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Winter Innovations social profiles
Digital presenceWinter Innovations compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Winter Innovations financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Winter Innovations leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Winter Innovations funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Winter Innovations M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Winter Innovations
What does Winter Innovations do?
Winter Innovations develops and sells FDA-cleared orthopedic surgical devices for ligament and tendon reconstruction. Its flagship EasyWhip® is a patented two-part needle system (a sharp Needle and blunt Insert attached to opposite ends of a suture) that enables multiple stitch techniques including whip, WhipLock™, and hybrid patterns with a single device. The company also sells StitchStand™, a graft preparation stand with interchangeable clamps, used together with EasyWhip during orthopedic surgery.
Is Winter Innovations a public or private company?
Winter Innovations is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Winter Innovations founded?
Winter Innovations was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Winter Innovations based?
Winter Innovations is headquartered in Knoxville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Winter Innovations make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. EasyWhip Surgical Device Sales are the primary driver. The others are stitchStand Product Line.
Who are Winter Innovations's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arthrex and Surgical Specialties (a B. Braun company). Broad incumbents are Smith & Nephew, Stryker, Johnson & Johnson (DePuy Synthes Mitek Sports Medicine), Zimmer Biomet, Conmed and Integra LifeSciences. Emerging players are Anika Therapeutics and Embody.
Does Winter Innovations have an API?
No public API is recorded for Winter Innovations.
What industry is Winter Innovations in?
Winter Innovations's product category is Orthopedic Surgical Devices. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHAEAL, Surgical Navigation, Robotics & Patient-Matched Instrumentation (Ortho/Spine). Its NAICS code is 339113 and its SIC code is 3842.