ReWalk Robotics Ltd (RWLK)

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7 Public Companies That Are Literally Changing People’s Lives
ByRebecca BorisonFollow | 12/29/15 - 09:38 AM EST

http://www.thestreet.com/story/13407908/1/7-public-companies-that-are-literally-changing-people-s-lives.html?puc=yahoo&cm_ven=YAHOO

When you hear the words "innovative" and "life-changing," you're probably more likely to imagine some small, young startup disrupting some area that hasn't been touched in years.

But guess what? Some of the big guys are changing lives, too. Sure, a public company is tied to the demands of Wall Street and investors but if you look hard enough, you will find a number of companies that are able to make that work while still driving meaningfulful changes for humanity.

In the spirit of the holidays, we've rounded up seven public companies that are helping improve the quality of life in a real way.

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ReWalk (RWLK - Get Report)

This Israeli company makes exoskeletons that allow paraplegics to walk again. Founded by a quadriplegic in 1997, ReWalk went public on the NASDAQ in 2014 just after it got approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The company's clientele is small, with about 189 exoskeletons placed around the world, but it's steadily growing. In the third quarter of 2015, ReWalk doubled its revenue to $1.2 million from $610,000 in the second quarter and place 23 exoskeletons, up from 12 in the second quarter.

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After a long downward trajectory, ReWalk shares recently turned around after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said it would pay for exoskeletons to help paralyzed soldiers walk again.

"Our main focus and belief is as long as we continue to grow the business, the stock will work fine over time," ReWalk CEO Larry Jasinski told TheStreet at the beginning of the year. "That's really what we have to do. This is an industry that will be very large some day. The Wall Street Journal pegged it as a $2 billion industry, so we're trying to keep our heads down and build the industry instead of being too worried about the short term."

Google/Alphabet (GOOG - Get Report) (GOOGL - Get Report)

Yes, Google is a technology fiend first and foremost, but what secured it on this list is some of its lesser known projects under its life sciences division, recently renamed Verily. With the nice financial support from Alphabet, Verily is able to tackle some of the toughest challenges with some of the brightest researchers.

One of the exciting products that is already on the market is Liftware, silverware that counters tremors for those with Parkinson's. The silverware was created by a startup called Lift Labs and then acquired by Google in 2014.

One of the most famous projects from Verily is its smart contact lenses, which allow people with diabetes to track their glucose levels in a noninvasive manner. Those lenses are set to begin human trials next year, but for a sight disease not yet for diabetes.

Verily is also working with other companies including Biogen (BIIB) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) to work on treatments for multiple sclerosis, heart disease and mental health issues.