Going out on a limb: Transforming physiotherapy with the help of MBZUAI

Shamma Al Saedi used to struggle with public speaking. Presenting in English risked bringing on a panic attack. Yet she recently beat more than 300 projects pitching for the Ministry of Education Entrepreneurship Challenge prize for her startup, Limb. 

“My biggest win, aside from the cash prize, was being able to fully express what Limb is and talk in front of those judges without feeling panicked,” the MBZUAI M.Sc. graduate says. “I was so proud of Limb that I just kept talking, and literally did not stop until they told me that the time’s up.”  

PHYSIO 2.0

Al Saedi created Limb to make physiotherapy more cost-effective, flexible, and accessible. Accompanying her mother and grandmother to appointments, Al Saedi witnessed the challenges they faced, and the repercussions this had on their recovery.  Limb was her response — an AI-powered system that makes it easier for patients to do their exercises, and for physiotherapists to monitor treatment.

The Limb app compares exercising patients to a 3D model to correct their posture, give notes for improvement, and flag any major issues. Unlike other apps, Limb’s 3D model is hyper personalized. Al Saedi aims to make sure patients with physical constraints don’t become demotivated over time, from following a generic healthy model.

Physiotherapists use the Limb API to track their patients’ progress, monitor incorrect technique or high pain levels, and alter patient plans based on this data.

Despite all her hard work, Al Saedi thanks others for the support that has got her where she is today. “MBZUAI played a huge role in making me more confident. Not just from providing knowledge, but also the access to talks, seminars and startup founders,” she says.

Al Saedi completed the entrepreneurship course at MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC), undertaking workshops like design thinking and public speaking.

With the support of her supervisor, Al Saedi also made her personalized 3D model the focus of her computer vision master’s thesis, using human pose estimation and a generative text to image model.

Al Saedi believes the course’s networking opportunities had a huge impact on her work too., explaining that she gained a lot of confidence from sharing ideas with her peers.  Haochen Sun at the IEC pointed out that this worked both ways, noting that Al Saedi used her expertise to help other founders in the same cohort hone their own ideas as well.

ENTREPRENEUR MINDSET

Mentors also gave Al Saedi a boost in getting started. When she was hesitant and felt she didn’t have enough experience, the IEC booked her meetings with founders to build her confidence. One particularly impacted her when he “convinced me this is how it all starts,” she says. “Not knowing what you’re doing, but if you believe in what you want to deliver, you’ll be able to do it.” 

“He told me to be mentally prepared,” she adds. “There will be times it’s hard and you need to get through it. So I was like, okay, you know what? I will get ready. I will be prepared, and I’ll do it.”

Because of moments like this, Al Saedi believes her time here shaped her future. “Joining MBZUAI was one of the best decisions I ever made,” she says.

What does she think makes a good entrepreneur now? Someone who totally believes in their idea, and, with her background in UX, someone who thinks of the user. Who tries to “improve it for the people who need it, no matter what.”

But also Al Saedi underlines the importance of humility, and knowing how to turn harsh truths into valid criticisms. “I’m working on this. I think I am making good progress,” she tells us. “Once I was so annoyed by one comment, but I thought about it and reflected and it was very useful, actually. You just learn along the way.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Al Saedi aims to create an MVP for Limb’s app and API in the next six months, then partner with a clinical hospital for trial and testing. But she also recognises the limitations she faces as a solo founder. She has to weigh up where to invest her own time, and where to invest money in people with expertise. 

To aspiring entrepreneurs starting at MBZUAI, Al Saedi recommends letting MBZUAI faculty know you’re interested in entrepreneurship from the beginning. Favor an entrepreneur mindset over a research based mindset, she says. Go to all the relevant talks and events. Find the right mentors. Network. 

And try to balance work, family and your health. “Listen to your body,” she says. A pertinent message indeed from the founder of Limb.