Osteoboost raises $8m to scale FDA-cleared wearable targeting bone loss in postmenopausal women
Interest grows in non-drug interventions for age-related conditions
Osteoboost Health has raised $8 million in new funding to expand access to its FDA-cleared prescription wearable designed to treat low bone density in postmenopausal women, as interest grows in non-drug interventions for age-related conditions.
The round was led by Ambit Health Ventures, with participation from Emmeline Ventures, Disrupt Health Impact Fund, Esplanade Ventures and Portfolia. The funding will be used to scale manufacturing, expand clinical research and grow commercial adoption.
The company’s flagship device, Osteoboost, is a class II prescription wearable that delivers targeted vibration therapy to the hips and spine - areas most vulnerable to osteoporotic fractures. It is positioned as the first FDA-cleared, non-drug treatment for women with osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.
More than 2,500 physicians have prescribed the device to date, including clinicians at over 30 academic medical centres.
Addressing a gap in early intervention
Osteoboost is targeting a large and growing patient population. Nearly 10 million Americans are living with osteoporosis, while a further 44 million have low bone density. Yet treatment options for early-stage bone loss remain limited, particularly for women entering menopause, when bone density declines more rapidly.
“The cost of osteoporosis to society is enormous, but this is not a condition that begins at diagnosis. It develops silently over many years,” said Laura Yecies, chief executive officer of Osteoboost Health.
“That’s why earlier intervention and prevention are so critical, especially for women entering menopause—when bone loss is known to accelerate. This funding advances Osteoboost’s vision of building a complete bone health solution and changing the trajectory of bone health for millions.”
The device is worn around the hips and sacrum and delivers low-magnitude vibration therapy. Its development was inspired by NASA-funded research, and clinical validation comes from a double-blinded trial at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, which found it slowed bone density loss by 85% in the spine and 55% in the hips among patients using the device regularly over 12 months.
Investor focus on under-addressed women’s health needs
The funding comes amid broader attention to gaps in women’s health investment, particularly beyond reproductive and maternal care.
“At Emmeline, we invest in companies tackling the biggest unmet needs in women’s health,” said Azin Radsan van Alebeek, co-founder and general partner at Emmeline Ventures.
“Half of women over 50 will experience a fracture due to bone loss, yet osteoporosis remains dramatically underdiagnosed and undertreated. Laura and the Osteoboost team are bringing much-needed innovation to bone health, and we’re excited to support their mission.”
Despite the scale of need, women’s health continues to receive a relatively small share of private healthcare capital. A January 2026 report from the World Economic Forum found the sector accounts for just 6% of investment, with the majority concentrated in areas such as reproductive health and oncology.
At the same time, demographic trends are expected to increase demand for solutions targeting ageing populations. The World Health Organization projects that by 2030, one in six people globally will be aged 60 or older.
Clinical demand for non-drug options
Clinicians say the device addresses a longstanding gap in treatment for patients diagnosed with osteopenia, where pharmaceutical options are limited.
“For years, when a patient with osteopenia asked what they could do beyond calcium, vitamin D, and exercise, we didn’t have much to offer,” said David B. Karpf, an endocrinologist at Stanford University School of Medicine.
“Many of the women I treat are younger peri- and post-menopausal women who have osteopenia, and want to do everything they can to prevent developing osteoporosis, in order to stay strong enough to travel, exercise, and lift their grandchildren. But there are no approved drug therapies for osteopenia. This gap between diagnosis and drug therapy has been frustrating. The availability of the FDA-approved Osteoboost device provides a clinically supported, non-drug option that allows us to intervene earlier.”
The company has also expanded into digital services through Wellen by Osteoboost, an online training platform developed by physical therapists. In a study of 680 participants, users improved lower-body strength by 22.8% after completing an 18-session programme, with nearly 80% moving from elevated to average or above-average fall risk.
Early users have also pointed to the appeal of a non-pharmaceutical approach.
“Osteoboost appealed to me on so many levels,” said Esther Dyson, an Osteoboost user and early investor.
“As someone who has trained to go into space but has not actually gone - yet! - I knew about the original NASA research. I also have low bone density and a cracked (but not broken) femur from a fall, so I’m excited to see an alternative to the standard pharmaceutical approach.”
Regulatory and commercial traction
Osteoboost was designated a Breakthrough Device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024 and later cleared through the De Novo pathway. The device began shipping in May 2025 and was named to TIME’s list of Best Inventions the same year.
The company said the new funding will support further expansion as it looks to position the device as part of a broader, preventative approach to bone health - particularly for women at risk of osteoporosis.