--- title: "Why the NFL Players Association Is Investing in Biotech" id: "44170" type: "post" slug: "why-the-nfl-players-association-is-investing-in-biotech" published_at: "2018-09-21T13:30:23+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:01:18+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/09/21/why-the-nfl-players-association-is-investing-in-biotech/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/09/21/why-the-nfl-players-association-is-investing-in-biotech.md" excerpt: "The players association is participating in a funding round for a startup company that has created an innovative solution for one of the most infamous injuries on the football field and beyond: the torn ACL." taxonomy_category: - "Business Development" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Innovation" - "investment" - "Sports Medicine" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Why the NFL Players Association Is Investing in Biotech The NFL Players Association is making a major investment in a medical startup this week. And it’s because the startup’s big solution targets an infamous pain point for many athletes. Moving out of stealth mode with $22.5 million in Series A funding from NFLPA and other organizations, MIACH Orthopaedics Inc. is developing a bioengineering approach to healing torn anterior cruciate ligaments, or ACLs. Torn ACLs are a well-known knee injury and were once all but guaranteed to end a professional athlete’s career. Even today, ACL injuries [can do long-term damage to an athlete’s performance (opens in a new tab)](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/may/11/acl-injuries-sports-athletes-careers) on the field. ACLs generally cannot heal by themselves, and the rehabilitation process is often arduous. MIACH’s solution uses a sponge that includes the patient’s blood cells both to act as scaffolding for the knee and to encourage healing of the ligament. The process, called bridge-enhanced ACL repair (BEAR), was developed by orthopedic surgeon Martha Murray as part of a research initiative at Harvard University that NFLPA supported, [according to the Boston Business Journal (opens in a new tab)](https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2018/09/18/nfl-players-association-invests-in-boston-acl.html) . [According to a news release (opens in a new tab)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180917005200/en/MIACH-Orthopaedics-Secures-22.5-Million-Series-Financing) , the method has been tested successfully in nearly 100 patients at Boston Children’s Hospital. “We look forward to accelerating clinical trials to further evaluate the less-invasive BEAR technology as a viable alternative to ACL reconstruction,” Murray said in the release. The investment reflects a recent push into tech investments [by the NFLPA](https://associationsnow.com/2016/12/nfl-players-association-new-accelerator/) and players associations [in other leagues](https://associationsnow.com/2018/02/nbas-players-association-aims-maximize-stars-brand-value/) . But the BEAR technique could be helpful beyond the sports field: About 400,000 Americans suffer from ACL injuries each year. Although the injuries have a higher profile among male athletes (many occur during televised games), they are more common among women, [according to National Institutes of Health research (opens in a new tab)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4805849/) . (Photoprofi30/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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