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For Subscribers

Understanding One Simple Truth Helped This Founder Raise $23 Million This entrepreneur turned an unsexy subject into a successful business.

By Kate Rockwood

This story appears in the September 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »

Peter Henket
Kegan Schouwenburg

3-D printing is sexy. Orthotics are… less sexy. But Kegan Schouwenburg attracted millions in funding by merging the two, and understanding everything about her customers' feet.

Related: This Startup Is Bringing 3-D Printed Insoles to the NBA and the Everyday Consumer

Podiatrist-made foot supports don't exactly leap to mind when thinking about 3-D printing. What sparked the connection for you?
I was working at a 3-D printing manufacturer and saw that most of the things that came through didn't make sense for the technology. 3-D printing really works when it improves a product through customization. I have terrible feet and started wearing orthotics at 6 years old. It's such an unsexy industry that no one's really paying attention to it. But that means there's plenty to do.