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NASS starting its own venture fund

12 May 2026 · 1 min

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1:02

In this brief YouTube discussion, the speakers explain that the North American Spine Society (NASS) is creating its own venture fund, financed by contributions of $25,000 from each of roughly 200 member surgeons, targeting a $5 million pool. The fund is designed to let members influence investment decisions, addressing a perceived lack of understanding and appreciation for spine‑focused technologies within traditional venture capital. The speakers emphasize that surgeons, acting collectively through NASS, are taking the initiative to fund disruptive spine innovations rather than relying on large, risk‑averse companies. They note that many promising technologies remain unfunded, and this effort sits outside the existing NASS “Illuminate” program, aiming to revolutionize the industry and halt the current “age progression” of spine care.

Chapters

Well, there's, there's one other really interesting thing that we're talking about internally, and that's NAS starting up its own fund. So getting $25K from 200 members, $5 million fund, not huge, but then our members can help direct where some of those funds go. There's a lot of ideas, not a lot of funding because there's a lack of understanding and appreciation for how spine works. So you got to have people who understand that. Are willing to invest that time and energy.
And because we are taking initiatives and not allowing— not relying on the big companies who are risk-averse to true innovation, um, the surgeons as a collective and NAS as a society collective, they're taking it upon themselves to go, you know what, I think revolutionize the industry. We know we can do it. We can stop the age progression. Um, and this is outside of Illuminate, but There's so much innovation out there that has not been funded and will change the world.