Revolutionizing Walking Analysis

May 7, 2025

A Conversation with Bruce Ford, President and CEO of Celestra Health

From pioneering AI-powered gait analysis to signing a major contract with a global pharmaceutical firm, Celestra Health — a HealthTech innovator who is transforming neurological care, one step at a time — is proving that the future of novel digital neurological biomarkers is already here.

Following nearly two years of software development—incubated and supported by Wesley Clover International—Celestra Health was formally launched as a standalone company in May 2023 and has since achieved several significant milestones, including:

7 clinical trials across 4 countries (US, UK, Germany, and Canada)
FDA designation as a Class II medical device
98% accuracy relative to a state-of-the-art gait laboratory at 1/100 the cost
3 rounds of patent applications filed in the US and Europe
A $500K+ contract with a global pharmaceutical firm

We sat down with Bruce Ford, President and CEO of Celestra Health, to gain insight into the journey behind the company’s success, from identifying a market opportunity to building a transformative solution for objectively measuring walking quality.

Bruce, in short, could you please tell us what Celestra Health does?

“Of course. Celestra Health specializes in AI-powered software that helps monitor the progression of neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease by tracking changes in a patient’s gait over time. In other words, we measure walking quality. That may sound simple, but the implications are profound.

Our core innovation is a neurological digital biomarker that unobtrusively measures how patients walk in real-world settings, which is significantly more meaningful than a single point in time assessment in a clinical environment. Our AI-powered software analyzes data from 3rd party smart insoles to deliver precise, real-time insights about gait quality.”

You mention gait. Could you please explain its relevance to MS or Parkinson’s disease?

“A person’s walking pattern, known as their ‘gait’, has been shown to closely correlate with disease progression in neurological conditions like MS and Parkinson’s disease. Continuous patient monitoring enables the formation of a highly accurate picture of disease change over time allowing for earlier interventions before irreversible damage occurs.”

What sparked the idea for this solution?

“I guess I have COVID to thank for the idea. Like many people, my wife, Dr. Heather MacLean, and I were stuck at home during lockdown. One morning over coffee, I started asking her about the details of her work as a neurologist specializing in MS. As we chatted, my wife described some of the key gaps and challenges she faced in her clinical practice — gaps that, to me as a technologist with over 30 years in the software industry, seemed like they could be addressed with the right technology.

Right around that time, Terry Matthews approached and challenged me to pitch him some ideas, and one stood out: To solve the fundamental problem of how clinicians measure walking quality, traditionally done by observing patients as they walk in the clinic for ten seconds, resulting in highly subjective assessments. Given the importance of gait measurement in assessing the patient’s disease condition, this seemed like a problem worth solving.

We saw an opportunity to transform gait assessments by making them continuous, accurate, and user-friendly — seamlessly integrated into the patient’s everyday footwear. It was a challenging problem with a clear market need that would result in the creation of valuable intellectual property.”

What differentiates your solution from others?

“Our platform is patient centered. We took the patient mantra ‘Nothing for us without us’ seriously. We spoke to many MS patients who told us that our wearable technology needed to be invisible and needed to seamlessly fit into their daily routines. Like everyone else on the planet, MS patients are focused on living their lives and do not want to make changes to their daily routines to accommodate some new technology.

We evaluated everything from smart underwear (used by astronauts, as it turns out), to smart socks, smart belts, smart rings, and smart watches, but for the data to be accurate, walking quality is best measured at the bottom of your feet, hence the smart insoles. Patients simply place the insoles in their everyday shoes. The sensors activate automatically during movement to capture data such as acceleration, pressure, speed, and rotation. This data is securely transmitted to Celestra Health’s cloud-based platform where AI algorithms are applied to objectively measure walking quality and to gain insights into walking patterns.”

Tell us more about the AI algorithms that power your solution.

“We’re building the world’s largest repository of walking data from patients with neurological conditions. That gives us a powerful edge when training our AI algorithms. The software calculates 200 low-level walking metrics at a rate of 50 times per second and then transforms these metrics into a single composite score that clinicians can readily use to detect changes over time. Our algorithms detect subtle changes — including the ability to measure walking fatigue. Fatiguability is a key aspect of walking that until this point, has not been possible to measure.

We’re a hard science company. We’ve taken something that up to this point has been subjectively measured by clinicians, observing patients as they walk, and turned it into a highly accurate and objective measurement. That’s the power of technology when it’s done right.”

You must have a great team behind you.

“Yes, most certainly. Our Celestra Health team is comprised of highly specialized human kinetics postdocs, senior software developers, operations staff who manage our worldwide clinical trials, and senior neurologists from the US, UK, Germany and Canada. We also have formed partnerships with world-class research institutions, such as Harvard Medical School and Barts Health NHS Trust in the UK.

Celestra Health is a technology company that is making a real difference in patients’ lives. There’s something deeply meaningful about contributing to the well-being of people managing lifelong neurological conditions. Every single person on our team is driven by that purpose. Our success so far is a direct result of their talent, dedication, and drive. What began as a simple idea has become a reality thanks to this exceptional group.”

Could you share details about the FDA designation that you received?

“Yes, of course. Our ‘Gait Lab in a Shoe’ platform has been designated by the FDA as a Class II medical device. In our case, it’s our cloud-based software that is the medical device rather than the 3rd party smart insoles that provide the raw sensor data. All the magic is in the software.

To date, we’ve submitted three rounds of patent applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), as well as the European Patent Office (EPO). Our patent filings, along with our significant investment in building out the world’s largest database of patient walking data that we use for training our AI gait algorithms, serves to fortify our competitive advantage.”

Thank you, Bruce. That is all very impressive. What’s next?

“Our goal is to become the gold standard in gait measurement for neurological conditions; this benefits clinicians and patients alike, while also addressing a critical need for pharmaceutical firms who are seeking more sensitive biomarkers for proving the efficacy of new drugs. As we prepare to close a funding round by the end of this year, our team remains focused on making a difference in the lives of patients globally.”

To learn more about Celestra Health, visit celestrahealth.com.

Wesley Clover invests in a range of technology companies, and they bring impressive innovation to markets and clients around the globe. I/O is our way of sharing some of the best insights. I trust you will enjoy them.

Terry Matthews, Chairman