Aetrex
US footwear technology company integrating 3D foot scanning, AI-driven biomechanical analysis, and SLS-printed custom orthotics to deliver personalized comfort solutions through retail and medical channels globally.
- CEO / Founder
- Larry Schwartz
- Team Size
- 201-500
- Stage
- Active
- Total Funding
- Bootstrapped
- Latest Round
- Bootstrapped
- Key Investors
- None (family-owned, bootstrapped)
Technology & Products
Key Products
Aetrex offers comfort and wellness footwear, orthotics, and foot scanning technology, including the Albert 2 foot scanner, which integrates 3D foot scanning and AI-driven biomechanical analysis.
Technological Advantage
Albert OS proprietary platform using computer vision and AI converts 3D foot scans to manufacturing-ready orthotic CAD in minutes; 50M+ scan database trains AI for biomechanical recommendations; SOLS Systems acquisition brought end-to-end 3D printing IP; SLS production through established supply chain provides clinical-grade durability.
Patent position
Aetrex filed 16 patent families across all years, compared with 7 for Superfeet and 11 for Wiivv. AMPulse analysis
- Filing momentum
- 2 families filed 2022–2024, 4 in 2019–2021
- Filed in
- US 69%EP 13%WO 13%CN 6%
- Named competitors, AM patent families
- Superfeet 7Wiivv 11
16 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.
Differentiation
Value Proposition
End-to-end 3D printed custom orthotics pipeline — from proprietary Albert 2 foot scanner capturing 3D geometry and pressure data in retail stores, through AI design automation, to SLS-manufactured orthotics that match every square centimeter of the patient's foot.
How They Differentiate
Unique retail-channel deployment model with Albert in-store scanner enabling same-day or next-day custom orthotics at shoe store price points ($150–$300) vs. $400–$800 podiatrist-channel custom orthotics; supported by the largest foot scan dataset in the world for AI validation.
Market & Competition
Target Customers
Independent shoe retailers, podiatry clinics, sports medicine professionals, pharmacies, and direct consumers seeking custom orthotic insoles for pain relief, athletic performance, or diabetic foot care.
Industry Verticals
Medical & Podiatry; Retail Footwear; Sports & Athletics; Diabetic Care; Consumer Wellness
Competitors
Superfeet (prefabricated orthotics); Wiivv (custom 3D printed orthotics via mobile app); Sols/Phits (dental lab channel custom orthotics)
Growth & Milestones
Growth Metrics
12,000+ scanners placed globally; 50M+ unique customer foot scans; 2.5M+ scans per year; 500+ retail locations with FitAI; 201-500 employees; global operations from Teaneck NJ headquarters
Major Milestones
Founded 1946 as shoe company; pivoted to technology-enabled orthotics; launched Albert 2 3D foot scanner; acquired SOLS Systems for 3D printing IP and capabilities; grew to 50M+ scan database; deployed Albert scanners in 10,000+ global retail locations; launched FitAI and Albert Pressure platforms
Notable Customers
Amazon (marketplace revenue growth); ASICS; PUMA; DSW; Fit2Run; Tradehome Shoes
AM patents
AM-relevant patents linked to this company.
- Patents
- 17
- Granted
- 11
- Families
- 16
Leading domains: process (17), equipment (13), software (11)
Filings by year: 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 3
- METHOD OF PRODUCING A FOOT ORTHOTIC THROUGH 3D PRINTING USING FOOT PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS AND MATERIAL HARDNESS AND/OR STRUCTURE TO UNLOAD FOOT PRESSURE03582646 · EP
- METHOD OF PRODUCING A FOOT ORTHOTIC THROUGH 3D PRINTING USING FOOT PRESSURE MEASUREMENTS AND MATERIAL HARDNESS AND/OR STRUCTURE TO UNLOAD FOOT PRESSURE2018152245 · WO
- SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CHARACTERIZING A FOOT OF AN INDIVIDUAL20260044641 · US
- SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF FEET2023004177 · WO
- Systems and methods for characterizing a foot of an individual11260597 · US