Meet Nonspec, a 2017 alum and $50K winner that provides affordable and adjustable prosthetic limb kits for amputees and clinicians worldwide.

The teams lightweight device allows the same components to be fit to anyone from eight to eighteen years old and can expand as needed to compensate for patients growth. The best part? The device can be fit and adjusted with minimal training and equipment.

We had a chance to catch up with Erin Keaney, Co-Founder and COO, about her experience going through the MC accelerator:

Take us back to MassChallenge Awards… what was going through your mind when you heard your startup name called to the stage?
We were standing backstage, watching the monitor, and very nervous about the awards being called. What was amazing was that one of our mentors was the one that called us up to receive our award, so getting to share that moment with someone who helped get us there was amazing!

As a winner, how do you plan to use the cash prize to further accelerate growth?
We plan to use the cash prize to produce more prosthetic limbs for those in India and to get our sales team in India self-sustaining. This will help us to be more investment-ready and allow us to investigate the US market more thoroughly.

What would you say has been the key driver of your success throughout the program?
Our mentors have been essential for driving us towards success throughout the program. We were grateful to find such a versatile mentor group covering marketing, team development, financial projections, and strategy. Their advice and support allowed us to more fully understand our target market and begin sales in India.

What has been the hardest lesson to learn?
I think one of the hardest lessons our team learned was that we had to separate into our roles. My co-founder and I have always pitched together, but it became clear throughout the program that we need to separate our roles so that we can get more things accomplished effectively.

What advice do you have for startups thinking about applying to MC?
For any startup thinking about applying to MC, it is 100% worth it. Go out and meet alumni from the program (and gather those discount codes!) and find out how it has helped other companies in your field. The application process may seem daunting, but it is a really good way to test yourself and your company. If you aren’t quite ready yet, learn from the judging feedback and be persistent!