Sure the latest initiatives from the Teslas, Apples and Googles of the industry tend to dominate the tech news space — and with good reason. Still, the tech titans aren’t the only ones bringing innovation to the sector.
In an effort to highlight up-and-coming startups, Built In has launched The Future 5 across 11 major U.S. tech hubs. Each quarter, we will feature five tech startups, nonprofits or entrepreneurs in each of these hubs who just might be working on the next big thing. You can check out last quarter’s round-up here.
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The uncomfortably of going to physical therapy (PT) often goes beyond the injury itself. While healing your body is one struggle, a larger obstacle is finding the right physical therapist to go to in the first place. Kins CEO Dan Smith knows this experience as a repeat physical therapy patient.
Smith last went to PT over 20 years ago, and after encountering a physical setback during the pandemic, he found himself revisiting physical therapists. To his surprise, the process to attend the programs hadn’t changed much since his last visit.
“I went to one of the big box group physical therapy chains [and] was amazed that the experience was the same and as antiquated as it was the last time I went back in 2001,” Smith told Built In via email. “This is an entire industry that has been left behind by digital transformation and innovation. Covid-19 opened all of our eyes to new ways of working and we’re applying those lessons to re-invent the care delivery model in physical therapy.”
It was then that Smith decided to take matters into his own hands and developed Kins, a Boston-based, patient-centered physical therapy platform that offers a hybrid approach to PT sessions. On the platform, users can receive virtual and hybrid care to treat things like back pain, sports injuries and chronic pain.
This is an entire industry that has been left behind by digital transformation and innovation. Covid-19 opened all of our eyes to new ways of working and we’re applying those lessons to re-invent the care delivery model in physical therapy.”
The name “Kins” is a playful abbreviation referencing kinesiology, the study of joints and muscles. The name also refers to the connection and connotation of family and shared heritage invoked by the word Kin.
“Between these two associations, we have a name that feels warm and supportive while clinically focused around movement,” Smith said.
Founded in 2021, Kins has raised $7.2 million to date from a seed round the company raised in June. The startup intends to use the funding to further develop its platform and expand into new markets. Kins is currently available in Boston and New York City.
As the company continues to grow, Kins is hiring to expand its 20-person team. Smith said Kins currently has open roles available for its engineering, product, operations and clinical teams.
