Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Each year, about 795,000 people here suffer strokes, of which 17 percent are fatal. 

Medical device manufacturer Imperative Care of Campbell, CA, is trying to do something about that. The company was co-founded in 2016 by Nick Hopkins, MD, a pioneer in neuroendovascular surgery, and Fred Khosravi, a serial entrepreneur and managing partner at medical incubator Incept. Their goal was to create new technologies to improve the quality of life for stroke patients beyond the acute-care setting.