This document discusses the issues of obesity, diabetes, and amputations in Mexico and the goal to provide affordable prosthetics. It notes that 33% of Mexican adults are obese which has led to 32 million obese adults and 15 million adults with diabetes. One million Mexicans need amputations each year which often forces them to leave their jobs. The solution proposed is to create highly functional but low-cost prosthetics using new technologies like 3D printing to help the 50,000 Mexicans in need get back on their feet and regain their livelihoods. The team aims to address this important problem through their combined expertise in disabilities, prosthetics, and bringing technologies to market.

1. Thistle
Getting people back on their feet
Prosthetics
Sam Bhattacharyya 30 October, 2014

2. Mexico: Unaffordably fat
● 33% of adults obese[1]
○ 32 Million (adults)
● 16% have diabetes [2]
○ ~15 Million (adults)
● 1M need amputation[3]
~.7-.8% of total population
● ⅕ as wealthy as US [4]

3. Destroys livelihoods
Señora Ramirez
● Señora Ramirez used to run a small
restaurant in Cd. Serdán
● Amputated left foot after years of
untreated diabetes
● Sells candy on the street because she
couldn't maintain her business
● 80% leave the workforce [3]

4. We can solve this
● Highly functional, low cost
○ Usable by a US veteran
○ Affordable to Indian school teacher
● New tech makes it possible
○ 3D printing
○ Scanning + Visual systems
○ Portable computing power

5. Market Space
Poorest of the Poor Ultra high-end
$20 $30,000
High-end
$3,000
Mid-range
Athletic - Spring
return (Otto Bock)Solid (SACH) foot
(Jaipur foot)
Powered Prosthesis
(i motion)

6. Market Size
$200M
Affordable, lower-limb
prosthetics in Mexico

7. Our team
Bernardo - Lives and breathes the problem
● 20 years running Flor de Cardo Santo, an NGO working with people
with disabilities in rural Mexico.
● Himself left foot amputee
Sam - Can bring to market the solution
● CEO/Founder of dot Learn
● BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering
● MBA from MIT
● 5 years of graduate/research work in robotics

8. Our vision
To get 50,000 Mexicans back on
their feet

9. Alejandro, Don Berna
Mountain Thistles never wilt. When they
die, they die standing up

10. References
1. OECD Obesity update, 2014
2. "Diabetes in Mexico", The Economist, April 10, 2013
3. Descapacidad en México - INEGI, 2004
4. World Bank list of countries by GDP/capita (nominal) (visited October 30, 2014)