Will Crawford
Prior to Smart Step Surgical, I spent 13 years as a spine implant rep and distributor.
CEO & Co-Founder ยท Billings, MT, USA
About Will
Most of my career has been in medical device sales. I started as an associate spine rep for Synthes Spine (now part of J & J). I remained in the same territory for 13 years. In 2018 I left J&J to join a distributorship and eventually started my own distributorship, Allied Spine, in 2023. We represented 10 different manufacturers with various products such as spinal implants, surgical navigation, dural repair, biologis, and patient specific implants. I had 3 full time employees and several independent contractors. We were able to grow our overall revenue to almost $6MM before transitioning everything to another distributorship so I can focus on Smart Step Surgical full time.
I have file two utility patents, involved with a provisional patent (owned by Stanford), and in the process of filing another provisional patent. All IP is in the medical device field and all are involved with surgeons as co-founders.
I started Smart Step Surgical with Jennifer Quon, pediatric neurosurgeon in Toronto, CA. We have worked with two different design and prototype firms to develop 5 prototypes. We launched our 5 MVP units January 2025 and have began engaging hospitals for trial evaluations. We are in the process of receiving our first PO and have completed 3 separate successful hospital evaluations.
Our current focus is engaging a CM to build our production units with hopes for a July delivery. We are actively seeking additional hospital evaluations to procure pre-orders and collect user feedback. We have decided to target academic centers.
Company
Smart Step Surgical
www.smartstepsurgical.com
Surgistep is a motorized step stool designed to replace the need to stack step stools in the operating room. It's primary features include expansion range of 5-13 inches, mobile ball detent wheels to improve mobility, and modular kickout platforms to accommodate commonly used foot pedals.
Funding Stage
Pre-Seed
Funding Raised
$500k to $1M
Team Size
Just Me/Co-Founders
Annual Revenue
$0 to $100k
Founded
2021
Industry
Healthcare
Skills
Founder
Founded Allied Spine and Smart Step Surgical.
Medical Devices
Specialized knowledge in medical devices, particularly spinal implants.
Entrepreneurship
Founded and managed Allied Spine and Smart Step Surgical, overseeing operations and growth.
Sales
Extensive experience in medical device sales, particularly in the spine sector.
Healthcare
Extensive experience in the healthcare industry, specifically in medical devices.
Management
Managed a team of full-time employees and independent contractors at Allied Spine.
Patent Filing
Filed two utility patents and involved in a provisional patent related to medical devices.
Prototyping
Worked with design and prototype firms to create 5 MVP units for Smart Step Surgical.
Product Development
Co-founded Smart Step Surgical and developed multiple prototypes for a new medical device.
Marketing
Involved in marketing strategies for medical devices, targeting hospitals and academic centers.
Experience
job
CEO & Co-Founder
Smart Step Surgical
Co-founded a company focused on developing innovative surgical tools, including a motorized step stool for operating rooms.
Launched 5 MVP units and engaged hospitals for trial evaluations, with plans for production.
job
Associate Spine Representative
Synthes Spine (now part of J&J)
Worked as a sales representative for spinal devices in a designated territory for 13 years.
Developed strong relationships with surgeons and hospitals, contributing to sales growth.
job
Founder & Distributor
Allied Spine
Founded a distributorship representing multiple manufacturers of medical devices, focusing on spinal implants and surgical navigation.
Grew revenue to almost $6MM before transitioning to another distributorship.