NearWave GTM brain

category

market profile

• text: An NCI-listed trial studies whether the handheld imaging device can predict pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
• text: A separate study explicitly describes the device as investigational and says collected imaging data will not inform patient treatment.

personas

• title: Breast medical oncologist
  pains:

  • Needs earlier reliable information about whether neoadjuvant therapy is working
  • Ineffective treatment can mean toxicity and lost time before care is adjusted
• title: Breast oncology clinical research director
  pains:

  • Must validate whether early imaging predicts meaningful treatment outcomes
  • Needs feasible protocols for serial imaging alongside chemotherapy
• title: Hospital breast imaging service leader
  pains:

  • New imaging equipment needs clinical evidence and workflow fit
  • Reimbursement, cost and regulatory status require review before adoption

icp

• text: Academic cancer centers and research hospitals studying neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in breast cancer.
• text: Prospective future clinical accounts include breast oncology practices treating systemic disease; firm size and routine commercial availability are unconfirmed.

objections

• objection: Can the device be used to change treatment today?
  response: The cited monitoring study describes the device as investigational and excludes use of its data in treatment decisions; verify current authorization for any intended use.
• objection: Does an early signal predict outcomes accurately?
  response: Review study design, results, patient subtypes and independent validation before clinical use.
• objection: What does adoption cost and how is it reimbursed?
  response: Request current device pricing and reimbursement information; neither was established in the reviewed sources.

competitors

• name: GE HealthCare
  why: Supplies breast imaging systems that may compete for imaging budgets; modalities and indications differ.
• name: QT Imaging
  why: Offers breast imaging technology and is identified as an alternative by Crunchbase; it is not established as equivalent for response monitoring.
• name: Seno Medical
  why: Develops optical and ultrasound breast imaging, though its cited use is breast mass classification rather than treatment monitoring.

influencers

• name: Roy Stillwell
  url: https://engineering.nd.edu/news/ready-for-launch-new-imaging-device-developed-by-ee-ph-d-student-and-start-up-ceo-goes-from-idea-to-prototype/
  why: Co-founder and chief engineer with a biophotonics background.

keywords

• breast cancer treatment response imaging
• neoadjuvant chemotherapy response monitoring
• breast near infrared spectroscopy
• optical breast imaging device
• predict breast cancer treatment response
• pathologic complete response imaging

signals

• text: A cancer center is recruiting studies of imaging biomarkers for neoadjuvant therapy response.
• text: A research hospital is studying noninvasive optical monitoring during breast cancer therapy.

stack

• frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy

pricing

motion

channels

• clinical research partnerships
• startup events

confidence

Founders

• name: Roy Stillwell
  title: Founder
  role: Founder
  bio: Roy Stillwell is the co-founder, CEO and chief engineer of NearWave, which he co-founded with Professor Thomas O'Sullivan in 2020. He has a PhD in electrical engineering, with a focus in biophotonics research. Originally from Colorado, Roy is a father, husband, technologist, gamer, boarder, and loves to build.