Performance Medical Technologies (PMT) began as a search for answers. While working in performance medicine with patients seeking longevity and athletic and cognitive optimization, Harper Thomas, CEO and Co-Founder of PMT, noticed a recurring pattern that demanded deeper investigation. A promising nutraceutical consistently emerged with relevance to neurological function; however, its clinical potential had never been rigorously studied. Harper believed it could offer more to people confronting some of the most challenging neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

After relocating to Virginia, Harper met Kurt Wassenaar, a seasoned biotech entrepreneur with a track record of building successful biotech companies. Their shared interest in the role of mitochondrial biology in neurodegenerative disorders quickly evolved into a partnership that become the foundation of Performance Medical Technologies, a company dedicated to developing a new therapeutic approach for early-stage Parkinson’s disease. From the start, their work was driven by something deeper than scientific curiosity. Both carried personal connections to Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative diseases, and both understood the urgency felt by patients and families searching for a reason to hope.

In preparation for commercialization and clinical development, Harper sought assistance from the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and joined the Virginia SBDC – ICAP program, a statewide initiative aimed at helping technology founders comprehend their markets, validate their ideas, and outline practical routes to commercialization. He continued working with ICAP mentors, gaining a level of customer-discovery insight that ultimately reshaped the company’s direction.

Their early work began with firsthand observation and customer discovery. Harper traveled to a clinic where the nutraceutical compound was being used off-label for patients with advanced Parkinson’s symptoms. He witnessed individuals who struggled to walk one day begin cooking and moving freely after only a few days of treatment. “It was something we could not unsee,” he shared. Those moments convinced the founders that the technology deserved formal scientific and regulatory validation.

SBDC Support Throughout Company Expansion
As the company grew, support from the SBDC persisted. Harper and Kurt partnered with the Virginia SBDC – International Business Development (IBD) team, receiving guidance on foreign markets and training for PMT through their Global On-Ramp program for STEM exports. This collaboration culminated in an invitation for them to join a delegation of Virginia companies headed to Italy. That trip proved pivotal. The founders established relationships with scientific partners, stakeholders, and translational research partners. Since then, Performance Medical Technologies has worked in both Virginia and Italy, building a multinational research and development platform, linking Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, University of Trieste, and Humanities Research Hospital in Milan.