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§ Private Profile · 1535 Venables St. Vancouver, BC V5L 2G8, Canada
Stoko design is a technology company.
Stoko Design develops supportive apparel, integrating medical-grade orthopaedic bracing directly into athletic compression tights and shorts. This innovative approach offers functional, body-conforming support for knees, hips, and back, aiding injury prevention and recovery. Their technology prioritizes stability and confidence, enabling unrestricted movement during activity.
Founded in 2017 by Zack Eberwein, Stoko emerged from his athletic injury experience and limitations of conventional bracing. Eberwein recognized the need for joint support that enhanced performance and comfort, inspiring embedded solutions within performance wear. Initially named Embrace Orthopaedics, the company sought to revolutionize active support.
Stoko’s apparel serves athletes and active individuals seeking reliable joint support for prevention, management, or rehabilitation. Products empower users to maintain an active lifestyle confidently, moving beyond bulky external braces. The company envisions transforming how people safeguard bodies, fostering sustained movement through integrated protective technology.
Stoko design has raised $6.0M across 1 funding round.
Stoko design has raised $6.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Stoko design has raised $6.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Seed in May 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2021 | $6M Seed | — | Campire Capital, Darrell Kopke, Greg Malpass, John Currie, Norm Francis, Paul Geyer | Announced |
Stoko Design is a Vancouver-based technology company specializing in supportive athletic apparel that integrates medical-grade knee bracing into compression tights, targeting active individuals managing knee injuries, chronic pain, or recovery. Founded in 2017 and formerly Embrace Orthopaedics, it has raised $5.97M, grown to 25 employees by 2023, and operates a 4,300 sq ft R&D facility, with products registered as medical devices by FDA and Health Canada.[1][2][3][4] The company serves previously injured athletes, runners, hikers, and skiers, solving the problem of bulky, restrictive traditional braces by offering invisible, adjustable support via high-strength Dyneema cables (15x stronger than steel) woven into apparel for unrestricted movement.[1][3][6] Growth momentum includes a Mosaic Score up +75 points recently, commercialization support from NRC IRAP, and direct-to-consumer sales with over 100,000 knees supported, plus multi-channel expansion strategies.[1][2][6]
Stoko originated from founder and CEO Zack Eberwein's personal knee injury on Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, sparking frustration with conventional braces' limitations.[1][2][5] Teaming up with two friends in 2017, they pivoted from a simple brace redesign to inventing "Supportive Apparel"—the world's first all-in-one knee brace and compression tight, evolving from Embrace Orthopaedics.[1][2] Early challenges in product development, manufacturing, and market entry were overcome with NRC IRAP funding and advisory services since 2017, enabling R&D, regulatory navigation, market analysis, and a successful product launch after four years of collaboration with engineers, apparel designers, and medical experts.[2][3] Pivotal moments include establishing an R&D facility, scaling from three founders to 25 staff, and building scalable go-to-market systems.[2]
Stoko rides the intersection of wearable tech, medtech, and athletic apparel, capitalizing on rising demand for non-invasive injury management amid aging populations, chronic pain prevalence, and post-pandemic active lifestyle trends.[1][2][6] Timing aligns with advances in smart textiles and fibers like Dyneema, enabling seamless medical integration into everyday gear—disrupting the $100B+ athletic wear market stagnant on bulky orthopedics.[1][3] Favorable forces include government R&D support (e.g., NRC IRAP), eCommerce scalability, and consumer shift to performance recovery wear, positioning Stoko to influence ecosystem by pioneering "invisible support" standards and expanding to hip/back products.[2][5] It humanizes medtech, bridging clinical efficacy with consumer apparel for sustained activity.
Stoko is poised for expansion beyond knees into hip/back support, leveraging its R&D momentum, $6M revenue trajectory, and repeatable sales systems to capture global direct-to-consumer and B2B channels.[2][4][6] Trends like AI-driven personalization in wearables, sustainable high-tech fabrics, and telehealth-integrated recovery will amplify growth, potentially boosting valuation via partnerships or Series A. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to category leader, empowering millions to "stay active as long as possible" by redefining injury recovery as seamless apparel—proving one founder's mountain mishap sparked a game-changer in active living.[1][3][5]
Stoko design has raised $6.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Stoko design's investors include Campire Capital, Darrell Kopke, Greg Malpass, John Currie, Norm Francis, Paul Geyer.