The scanner was only the starting point for what Manometric has become today: creating custom braces using 3D scanning, 3D printing, data and AI. Pieter soon recognized that the traditional method of making braces was far from future-proof. “It’s a highly labor-intensive process, and more professionals are retiring than graduating.”

Traditional orthopedic braces are often made entirely by hand, where the feel and intuition of the craftsman play a key role. Manometric addresses this by digitizing the process. This creates a scalable, sustainable model that relies less on individual skills.

Pieter and Robin aim to change this by using data and technology. “Our goal is to bring objectivity to the orthopedic field. That ‘fingerspitzengefühl’ of craftsmen is great, but it’s not something you can build a scalable business on,” Pieter says. “You can’t easily teach or transfer that feeling. Those decades of knowledge from traditional processes are now in our digital workflow. For example, someone with strong hands needs a stiffer brace, while an older patient might need a more flexible one. By combining data and AI, we can incorporate those nuances into the design.”

For Pieter, this is one of the key factors behind their success. “We can develop all the technology we want, but if we’re not listening to the patient and using their feedback, we’re not making an impact. In healthcare, we have three stakeholders: the patient, the doctor, and the insurer. But if I have to choose one, I’ll always choose the patient.”

This customer-focused approach directly influences Manometric’s products. One example is the closure system for the braces. “Patients don’t care about AI or 3D printing. They told us that Velcro was damaging their clothes. So, we developed a non-Velcro closure system, even though it took a lot of time and money to create,” says Pieter. “That might seem a bit dull for an engineer. But these are exactly the things you should be working on.”

Manometric’s vision to become the global leader in orthopedics is a clear objective ahead. A crucial part of this journey is their partnership with strategic allies like Nextgen Ventures.

“Choosing to partner with Nextgen was a major decision for us,” Pieter explains. “Peter Haasjes and his team didn’t just invest money—they are actively helping us to make strategic decisions and to grow everyday. The fact that they invested in us at such an early stage speaks volumes about their confidence in our potential.”

​​Pieter greatly values this trust that Nextgen Ventures places in him and his team, especially when it comes to making key decisions. “Sometimes, we make decisions based on research, but often it’s also just intuition,” he explains. “And you can really feel that trust from them. They say, ‘You’re the entrepreneurs, we’ve invested in you, so you make the call. It’s your responsibility and your intuition.’”

“For example, when we decided to develop the non-Velcro closure system for our braces, this meant investing a significant amount of time and money to ensure it met our customers’ needs. An investor could easily raise concerns about that kind of decision.”

But not Peter Haasjes: “He is the kind of person who says, ‘You’re going to spend three months developing a brace without Velcro? Okay, I’m curious to see how that will play out.’ And that attitude is incredibly important because forward-thinking ideas are fragile. I have to trust my instincts. And having the trust from your strategic partner in this process is crucial.”

“If Peter truly believes an idea isn’t good, he’ll say so, and I will take that seriously. But if he’s pushing back, he’s always looking for the reasoning behind a decision. There’s always a discussion about the substance, without any ego involved.”

And even if a decision doesn’t work out, the trust remains intact. “The great thing is, even if something doesn’t go as planned, Peter never says, ‘I told you so.’ He understands that we need to try things. Because if you take away that space for experimentation, you kill creativity.”

The relationship with Nextgen is highly personal. “I call Peter almost every week,” says Pieter. “Sometimes just to catch up, but often to ask for advice or discuss a specific challenge.”

Also, Nextgen Ventures’ network opens doors to valuable connections: “Nextgen has a deep network in the healthcare industry. That’s incredibly valuable. For example, I sat down with physicians of the Mayo Clinic.”

Another example of the practical support Nextgen Ventures offers is how they assist in helping Manometric professionalize their finance department. For Pieter, this was new territory. “Honestly, I didn’t fully understand what this entailed,” he admits. But Nextgen provided clear, actionable examples: “They showed us how other startups manage it. It gave us a range of options.”