Shockwave Medical Inc.
A maker of medical devices that treat hardened, calcified arteries, Shockwave Medical adapts the sonic-pressure technology long used to break up kidney stones into a balloon catheter that cracks calcium inside blood vessels. Founded in 2009 by a cardiologist, an engineer, and a marketer, the company's early experiments reportedly used chalk, organic eggs, and cadaver legs to prove the concept. The name comes from the shockwaves the device delivers. Johnson & Johnson acquired the company in 2024.