The tape is a simple cloth tape with an adhesive side and a tool widely used by podiatrists. Its use in bandages helps prevent and, above all, treat foot injuries. It's cheap and effective, but it also has drawbacks: it's uncomfortable and can irritate the skin. Podiatrist Fran Monzó had been thinking about how to improve this product for some time until, in 2016 and together with David Lucas, one of his students from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, he obtained a prototype. Two years later they founded Fixtoe, a company that in 2023 has exceeded 300,000 euros in turnover and has treated 70,000 patients in 30 countries with its devices. When they developed the prototype of their first product—Fixtoe Pro, focused on treating different pathologies related to the deformity of the toes—there was no way to find a factory with a health license willing to embark on the adventure. “We had a lot of potential and Fran is a highly respected professional in the sector, but not even with those arguments we could achieve it,” remembers Lucas, 28 years old and today general director of the Alicante company. After many attempts, they finally achieved it close to home, in Castellón. Monzó—44 years old—then made contacts and invited other podiatrists to try his invention. He convinced them. And not only in Spain, but also in countries like Australia, where they soon had a distributor. This encouraged them to take a second step: Fixtoe Qx, which facilitates stabilization after bunion surgery. It also worked quickly. “The more complicated a treatment is, the less therapeutic adherence it has. That is to say, if you ask the patient to do a complicated bandage, they will end up giving it up. Our products have the advantage that they are simple, removable, and last up to six months,” explains Lucas. In 2019 they went through the Lanzadera accelerator to gain a foothold, but in 2020 their good progress had a hiatus with the arrival of the pandemic. They then opted for a digital academy with videos in which a dozen professionals from different areas of podiatry offer information through real cases. More than 700 students enrolled in these courses, which attract podiatrists, physiotherapists, traumatologists or physical rehabilitators. Their devices have found distributors in England, Mexico, Italy or Portugal, and are already purchased by healthcare professionals in thirty countries. In 2022, the company obtained half a million euros in a financing round to consolidate the international market and continue expanding its catalog. The team – made up of eight people – is now developing a device that allows the prevention and treatment of plantar fasciitis, one of the most common and difficult pathologies to treat. “There are very long treatments that are not always effective. And it generates pain that even becomes disabling on a day-to-day basis,” Lucas emphasizes. It is a sock that has different soft elements that distribute the pressure and proportion of forces on the sole of the foot. “The muscle tenses less, preventing fasciitis and also reducing soreness,” says the general director. Now they are developing six new patents to treat repetitive sprains, metatarsalgia or tibial periostitis. They have sponsored marathons in Boston or New York with the idea of making themselves known. The goal now is to reach one million turnover this year. Follow all the Economy and Business information on Facebook and xor in our weekly newsletter