About us
T H E C O M P A N Y
Established in 2017, Askel Healthcare is a Finnish medical technology company set to transform surgical knee cartilage treatment and recovery. The number of people worldwide suffering from painful knee osteoarthritis has more than doubled over the past three decades, with untreated cartilage damage being a major contributor to the development of the disease.
Askel’s mission is to keep people in motion through our universal ASKEL Cartilage Implant*, a groundbreaking innovation for the repair of knee cartilage defects. It is easy to implant, and it enables fast recovery and a return to pain-free activity. The implant is the result of more than 10 years of orthopaedic and tissue engineering research at the University of Helsinki and Tampere University in Finland.
*ASKEL Cartilage Implant is an investigational device and is not yet approved for commercial use in any country.
M E E T T H E
The Founders
Dr. Virpi Muhonen
Virpi has an MSc in animal physiology and a PhD in orthopaedic cell biology. She has over 10 years of experience in academic entrepreneurship, especially in the medical field.
CEO
Anne-Marie holds a PhD in biomedical engineering and has 20+ years of experience researching, developing, and manufacturing biomaterial composites for medical applications.
CTO
Dr. Anne-Marie Haaparanta
M E E T T H E
The Board
CHAIRMAN OF BOARD
Jarkko Penttilä
Jarkko is the founder of Founders Bedrock Investments, sparring health tech growth companies in business and financing. He has 15 years of VC experience, has chaired high-tech boards, and holds a Master's in Industrial Management.
Frédéric Picq
BOARD MEMBER
Frédéric has been a NYC family office Head Trader for 10 years and founded the venture capital fund Pi2 & Cenitz to invest in early-stage ventures. He focuses on strategy, corporate culture, finance, and execution.
Patrick Jamnik
BOARD MEMBER
Patrick has nearly 20 years of global market development experience in orthopaedics across Europe and the US. He currently serves as Chief of Staff at Genesis Innovation Group. Patrick holds a BA and an MBA from UW-Madison.
Dr. Virpi Muhonen
CEO
Dr Anne-Marie Haaparanta
CTO
Advisory Board
M E E T T H E C L I N I C A L
Prof. Mats Brittberg (MD)
Chair of the Clinical Advisory Board, orthopedic surgeon, and professor at the University of Gothenburg. He holds a PhD, has over 40 years of medical experience, specializes in cartilage research, and serves as a guest professor in Mexico.
Dr. Emmanuel Papakostas (MD)
Orthopedic sports surgeon at Aspetar Hospital, a world-leading center for sports surgery and medicine. He graduated in 1993, specialized in orthopedics in 2004, and previously spent over 15 years practicing in Greece's private sector.
Teemu Paatela (MD)
Director of Orthopaedics & Business Director at Terveystalo, Finland's largest private healthcare provider. He is a consultant knee surgeon specializing in arthroscopy, holding a specialization degree from 2011 and a 2024 PhD from University of Helsinki.
Konstantinos Epameinontidis
Senior sports physiotherapist and rehabilitation education coordinator at Aspetar Hospital. He holds a BSc in Health Sciences, has over 20 years of clinical experience, and has focused exclusively on sports injuries since 1999.
I N T E R E S T E D ?
Let’s Talk
Have questions about Askel Healthcare or the ASKEL Cartilage Implant? Get in touch with our team – we’d be happy to hear from you.