UK startup CurvLabs began with a simple question: why, after years of appointments, scans and physiotherapy, did founder Rohan Kotecha still not understand what was causing his back pain?
Diagnosed with non-specific back pain at 13, Kotecha experienced first-hand a healthcare system where specialists treated symptoms in isolation and assessments were limited to brief clinic visits. Frustrated by the lack of continuous, real-world data, he set out to build a better solution.
The result is Curv, a wearable spinal sensor device designed to help people better understand how their spine moves throughout everyday life.
According to Kotecha, “like many people, I spent years going between physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths. I honestly felt pretty let down by the healthcare system.”
During COVID, he had a major flare-up while he was studying biomedical engineering at University College London. The NHS waiting list for treatment was around six months, so as a student he decided to pay for private physiotherapy instead.
