Dear Colleagues,
Nanochon’s 10-year anniversary represents a time for us to reflect on the immense progress we’ve made over the last decade and thank those who have been following us on this journey.
Nanochon was founded in 2016 by Dr. Nathan Castro and myself while studying biomedical engineering at George Washington University. Inspired by the potential of tissue engineering and 3D printing, we set out to develop a scalable, synthetic solution for cartilage repair that could meaningfully improve patient outcomes and quality of life. That mission continues to guide everything we do today.
Over the past decade, Nanochon has grown from a concept into a clinical-stage company focused on advancing Chondrograft™ — our novel implant for cartilage restoration. We’ve raised +$14M, have been granted multiple patents and have been accepted into the most elite accelerators. Some of the key milestones from our journey include:
2016–2018: Foundation & Early Validation
- Nanochon incorporated and initial R&D launched with NSF and POSNA grants
- Established first Chondrograft™ prototype and successful animal studies
2019–2021: Technology Advancement & Regulatory Momentum
- FDA Breakthrough Device Designation awarded & acceptance into JLABS
2022–2024: Clinical Readiness & Company Growth
- Completion of equine studies demonstrating superiority versus microfracture
- Successful seed and seed-prime financings totaling more than $7 million
- Acceptance into MedTech Innovator and Zimmer Biomet Plug and Play
2025–2026: Transition to Clinical Stage
- Health Canada approval for Nanochon’s first-in-human clinical study
- Additional financing and manufacturing expansion support from TEDCO (Maryland’s leading source of funding for early-stage companies), Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, and AFWERX (The US Air Force’s innovation arm) bring total raised to $14M
As we now enter this next chapter with our first-in-human clinical trial underway, we remain more energized than ever about the opportunity ahead.
Warm regards,
Dr. Ben Holmes
CEO & Co-Founder
Nanochon