Cornelius Rechenberg began studying plastics technology engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Rosenheim, Bavaria, Germany in 1971. He took a job with Anita, a manufacturer of women’s lingerie, while at the university and began experimenting with new materials for breast forms to make them feel more natural. At the time, most prostheses were plastic bags filled with liquids, such as oil or paste. Cornelius knew there was a better way to manufacture forms. In fact, he based his diploma thesis on developing a silicone breast form.

Cornelius recognized that the silicone breast form had potential to better fulfill the needs of women and fill a void in what was available at the time. Although he positioned the silicone form as a highly marketable product, he received no interest from the industry leaders. With the help of his brothers, he invented new manufacturing methods (oftentimes using tools from his mother’s kitchen) and traveled across Germany to sell Amoena forms into medical shops over the next year. Amoena debuted at its first tradeshow, IGEDO, in September 1975. Without money for a professional booth, Cornelius and his brothers collected Bavarian furniture from local farmers. They sold all the furniture at the show, but no forms.

Their big break came later that year when Basko-CAMP, an international healthcare distributor, asked for a second presentation. They placed an order for 1,000 forms. By working around the clock, Cornelius filled the order. One year later, Amoena entered the U.S. market founding a subsidiary in Atlanta, GA. By 1980, Amoena was still a small company, but growth was imminent because of Cornelius’ perseverance and commitment to innovation.