JawSpace
More than just an app, JawSpace empowers individuals to take control of their jaw and oral health. Find out how one of Newcastle University's first spin-ins began.
Newcastle University Kickstarts JawSpace Success
An award-winning Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD or ‘TMJ’) self-management app, JawSpace combines individual pain management with science, providing vital tools and understanding for those living with jaw and facial discomfort and dysfunction.
Far more than just an app, JawSpace empowers individuals to take control of their jaw and oral health through its elegantly simple self-care tools, each backed by scientific evidence.
We touched base with two key players in JawSpace’s journey to find out more about one of Newcastle University’s first spin-in companies:
- Alexandra Penn: CEO and Founder of JawSpace
- Justin Durham: Chief Clinical and Scientific Officer and Co-Director at JawSpace, Professor of Orofacial Pain at Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Oral Surgeon
The academic paper that started it all
After reading an academic paper authored by Justin in 2016, Alex’s idea for JawSpace was born. Interested in working with the person who had helped inspire her original idea for a self-care TMD management app, Alex reached out to Justin.
Alex: ‘I knew I wanted to work with Justin from day one. The fact that his paper had inspired the initial beta version of the JawSpace app was very important to me – I knew he would be able to give me some more great insights.’
Justin: ‘I had been thinking about the development of a self-management pain app since 2013. I realised that everyone espoused the importance of self-management when it came to TMD, and I had been using it for over 10 years and there wasn’t even an internationally agreed definition.
‘We decided to create this definition, and this eventually became the academic paper that inspired Alex. The team tried to get things off the ground for an app ourselves, but we couldn’t find anyone with the right expertise.
‘But when I met Alex, I knew she had something different. Her brand was gorgeous and delivered with real love, care and attention. There was also a lot of expertise in there, real thought and genuine critique had gone into it.
‘I spoke to a colleague within Newcastle Innovations, and it was then that the idea of framing this project as a spin-in was put forward.’
Alex: ‘I wanted to contact Justin the very first day I started, but I made myself wait. I didn’t just want to pitch an idea, I wanted to showcase an actual, tangible thing.’
Targeted goals and unexpected challenges
After receiving an offer of assistance from Newcastle University, Alex decided she wanted to come to campus, making the 24+ hour trip from Australia to Newcastle.
Alex: ‘I decided I was coming to the UK! I made the trip from Sydney with no idea what the potential for a spin-in would look like for JawSpace – I just knew I wanted to work with Justin and Newcastle University on this journey. I had faith that the expertise I would get access to would help me take my app and my company where I wanted to go.
When I met Alex, I knew she had something different ... I spoke to a colleague within Newcastle Innovations and it was then that the idea of framing this project as a spin-in was put forward.
‘When I arrived in Newcastle, it was snowing! Us Australians don’t do particularly well in the snow, and I hadn’t anticipated the endless layers of clothes I would need to wear. But the unwelcoming weather was more than worth it to achieve the collaboration I was looking for.’
Justin: ‘We knew we wanted to support Alex on her journey and collaborate with her to make JawSpace into the success I could see it being. However, following Alex’s initial visit, it took us six months to get the whole thing signed, sealed and agreed.’
Alex: ‘The main goal of the collaboration was to make my beta app better – we realised pretty quickly the only way to do this effectively was to make it a medical device.
‘We also realised very quickly that building something as complex as a medical device remotely is very hard. JawSpace is a remote, global company, which means meetings at random times, a very flexible structure and a team group chat that is pinging 24/7!
‘The challenge of making a medical device was huge – we definitely underestimated how much time it would take. So, in order to get the company and our ethos out there, we agreed on the initial development of a wellness version.’
Justin: ‘The decision to begin with a wellness app was made over coffee in Sydney – since Alex had come to visit Newcastle, I thought it was only right that I experience life in Australia! The trip led to the best decision we ever made during the collaboration.
‘People don’t necessarily go for lifestyle or wellness apps because legal restrictions mean that you cannot provide targeted, tailored advice. But after meeting with key opinion leaders at an industry conference, we received a lot of positive reactions and traction from our lifestyle version.
‘This led to us being able to think about specific tweaks we could make to refine our idea and build up to a tailored medical version. The decision was made to go for a lifestyle app initially because of circumstance, a way to overcome a challenge, but it gave us real impetus to keep moving forward.’
Alex: ‘At this stage, we needed a win. The feedback from the conference gave us that. We realised that people liked the wellness version of the product, but they didn’t love it.
‘This was confirmed the week we released our medical version and our revenue doubled – people were crying out for personalised care.’
Aesthetic app considerations
For Alex, an extremely important consideration was that of the app’s aesthetic. Wanting to avoid the rigid, clinical feel found with many medical devices, she spent a lot of time ensuring the look and feel of the brand hit the mark.
Alex: ‘I wanted our users to feel a sense of calm using the app – I wanted soft colours and curved edges. The content on the app is only as good as its ability to be viewed and digested by the user.’
Justin: ‘If I had been involved in the start of the branding, I think I would have pushed for a more clinical feel – so, I’m glad this decision pre-dated my involvement. I love the brand as it is very warm and welcoming – patients feel looked after and understand that we have their best interests at heart.’
(Pictured: Alex (left) and Justin, the leadership team for JawSpace)
Alex: ‘However, we still needed that credibility in the space. This is one of the reasons why I was so happy to work with the University, as it instantly added credibility to our brand.
‘The beautifully designed graphic of Newcastle University is one of the first things you see when you view the JawSpace website – this establishes trust within the medical and wellness world.
‘The University also launched a press release for us, which helped a lot in terms of getting us traction in the medical space and getting our brand out there in the form I wanted it to be.
‘Newcastle University gave me the tools to engage directly with our target community. Previously, there was the clinical research and then JawSpace, with nothing connecting the two.
We aimed to create a bridge here, providing those living with TMD and TMJ with research-backed evidence of strategies that truly worked.’
Award-winning status
JawSpace won the National Dental Industry 2025 Award for App of The Year. The company was also shortlisted for both best brand and best website – a huge moment for both Alex and Justin.
Alex: ‘Winning the award was fantastic. We all went to Wembley Stadium for the ceremony – our table was the smallest team but the loudest when we won!
‘Another stand-out moment for me was when we were granted medical approval in Australia. It’s an extremely laborious process and I spent about a month worried that, after two years of hard work, we were going to fall at the final hurdle!
‘When the approval came through, I screamed I was so happy! But it was the middle of the day in Australia, so everyone in the UK was asleep – I had to wait six hours to celebrate with the rest of the team.’
Spin-in success
Justin: ‘The whole project with JawSpace has been extremely rewarding – both personally and for the company as a whole. Although we faced our fair share of challenges, it was definitely worth it!’
Alex: ‘I 100% agree. I have the best job in the world! I build something that helps people, alongside a team I enjoy working with. The University was incredibly accommodating to our needs as a start-up – being able to leverage the expertise, knowledge and credibility of talented academics was ideal for JawSpace and our development as a company.’
Want to explore your own spin-in potential via Newcastle Innovations? Contact our expert team today or read through some of our other Success Stories.