Meet Global Impact Award Finalist ALLUMIN8, a startup pioneering a new era of surgical implants with Therapeutic Hardware™. The company began from a deeply personal experience after Founder Alyssa Huffman (MBA ’21) witnessed multiple family members suffer devastating spinal fusion failures. Knowing there had to be a way to reduce these post-op difficulties, Huffman drew upon her experience in orthopedic, spine, and biologics commercialization and partnered with Matthew Shomper to develop an innovative solution to improve patient outcomes. This first-of-its-kind technology is designed to reduce global reoperation rates and improve patient outcomes in Orthopedic, Spine, Dental, and Veterinary surgery.
Keep reading to learn more about how this innovative healthcare startup is working to improve the post-op experience of patients.
Alyssa, can you walk us through the origin story of ALLUMIN8 and what drove you to start the company?
A Founder’s mission rooted in personal experience innovation often stems from necessity, and ALLUMIN8’s story is no exception. I first conceptualized the A8 INTEGR8 Porous Pedicle Screw System in 2009 after witnessing spinal fusion failures that devastated my own family. My diabetic uncle endured six failed spine surgeries due to infection, scar tissue buildup, and bone loss—a heartbreaking cycle of suffering with no viable solutions. My quadriplegic cousin faced repeat spine fusion surgeries after the implanted screws backed out, unable to anchor into her compromised bone. Most recently, my father was diagnosed with spinal deterioration from cancer-related bone lesions and chemotherapy damage, requiring a fusion. Armed with decades of experience in orthopedic, spine, and biologics commercialization, I knew biologics and therapeutics could significantly improve patient outcomes—but the industry lacked the innovation to bring an implant strong enough to meet FDA requirements to market. ALLUMIN8 is changing that with the brilliant engineering of our CTO Matthew Shomper’s 3D printing design and manufacturing expertise.
The need for breakthrough innovation in spinal fusion has never been greater. Traditional spine implants focus solely on mechanical fixation, failing to address the biological factors critical to healing. This gap leads to high failure rates, expensive revision surgeries, and devastating patient outcomes. ALLUMIN8’s 3D Therapeutic Hardware™ is a paradigm shift—designed to provide surgeons with innovative pathways to diagnose, treat, and heal through the devices. Research demonstrates a Gaussian porous design aids in faster, stronger, harder, and better bone integration. Unique to ALLUMIN8, is the ability to draw bone marrow stem cells into the hardware potentially offering a reduction of infection risks, organic strengthening of bone, and faster bone fusion. The goal is a smarter solution that tackles mechanical, biological, and patient-specific challenges in one platform. With its first commercial focus on spine, ALLUMIN8’s platform technology extends far beyond a single application—it is poised to transform orthopedic, dental, pediatric, and even veterinary bone surgeries.
What critical problem is ALLUMIN8 solving, and why is this solution needed now?
ALLUMIN8 is pioneering a new era of surgical implants with Therapeutic Hardware™, a first-of-its-kind technology designed to reduce global reoperation rates and improve patient outcomes in Orthopedic, Spine, Dental, and Veterinary surgery. Unlike traditional implants that only provide mechanical fixation, ALLUMIN8’s proprietary porous design integrates therapeutic functionality, allowing surgeons to diagnose, treat, and accelerate healing directly through the device itself. Backed by cutting-edge science and clinical evidence, ALLUMIN8’s technology is engineered to:
• Enhance bone integration through optimized Gaussian porous structures
• Draw bone marrow stem cells into the implant, promoting natural healing and infection resistance
• Strengthen fusion sites, reducing the risk of implant failure and costly revision surgeries
With a deeply personal mission to redefine surgical success, ALLUMIN8’s platform technology is addressing the root causes of surgical complications, setting a new standard for efficiency, reliability, and patient care worldwide. ALLUMIN8 isn’t just developing medical devices—it’s transforming the future of surgical implants, giving healthcare providers smarter tools to improve recovery, optimize costs, and elevate patient outcomes like never before.
How has the company validated and refined its solution based on market feedback?
Since 2020, ALLUMIN8 has been working with Dr Zack Ray – WashU’s Chief of Neurosurgery, Dr Khoi Than – Duke University, Dr Alekos Theologis – UCSF, and Dr Mayur Jayarao – MU and Cox Health. The process of created the world’s first 3D printed, porous spine fusion hardware biomechanically strong enough to meet the FDA’s rigorous testing parameters, while providing enough patient and surgeon benefit to exceed market expectations was a rigorous process met with many unforeseen challenges. Many of the largest medical device manufacturers have failed at this task. In September 2024, after five years of working on the ideal balance of design, innovation, operational throughput, patient/surgeon benefit, and mechanical strength, ALLUMIN8 submitted to the FDA the A8 INTEGR8 Porous Pedicle Screw System after seven iterations of designs.
Where do you see ALLUMIN8 making its biggest impact in the next five years?
Reducing the global reoperation rates in spine fusion patients.
How would the Global Impact Award help accelerate the company’s growth?
The funding will enable us to:
• Advance regulatory & clinical validation – supporting further FDA pathways.
• Expand strategic partnerships – engaging WashU’s network of experts in MedTech, orthopedics, and healthcare systems.
• Scale manufacturing & market access – preparing for commercialization with hospitals and distributors.
Additionally, WashU’s mentorship, investor connections, and research ecosystem will help us refine our go-to-market strategy and unlock future funding opportunities. ALLUMIN8 is on a mission to redefine spinal fusion surgery—reducing failures, improving patient outcomes, and cutting healthcare costs. With WashU’s Global Impact Award, we can fast-track this innovation to patients worldwide. Together, we can transform lives, one spine at a time.
What is one piece of advice you would give to a future founder coming out of WashU?
Build relationships before you need them, and don’t be afraid to ask for several opinions. As a founder, your success won’t just come from your product—it will come from the network of people who believe in you. WashU gives you access to brilliant minds across business, medicine, engineering, and entrepreneurship. Invest in those relationships early—with professors, classmates, alumni, and industry leaders. When challenges arise (and they will), these connections will open doors, offer insights, and provide support that money can’t buy. Whether it’s securing funding, navigating regulatory hurdles, or finding your first customers, the strength of your network will determine the strength of your company. So, remember to have fun, trust your gut, stay curious, think limitlessly, be generous with your time, maintain humility, laugh at yourself, own your mistakes, and never underestimate the power of simply showing up.
Learn more at allumin8.com.
The Global Impact Award (GIA) is made possible by Washington University alumnus Suren G. Dutia and his wife, Jas K. Grewal. The goal of the award is to invest in individuals and high-growth entrepreneurial ventures associated with WashU that have a broad impact and exhibit an interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship.
The winner of the 2025 Global Impact Award will be announced at the WashU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards on Thursday, April 17. All are invited to attend the awards ceremony to see which team(s) will win up to $75,000 in non-dilutive funding for their venture.