Interviews

Dr. Steven Mickelsen is a practicing electrophysiologist who’s leveraging his clinical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to revolutionize cardiac care. He made significant strides ushering in pulse field ablation (PFA) technology into the field through one of his previous companies Farapulse, which sold to Boston Scientific. Today, as CEO of Field Medical, he continues to contribute to the space by developing the next generation of PFA for ventricular arrhythmia management. In this episode, he shares his hard-earned wisdom on how limited means can breed resourcefulness, how to build a modest yet effective prototype, why having real expertise in clinical and regulatory spheres is a necessity, and how to raise funds with a win-win mindset.

Anish Kaushal, a former physician turned healthcare investor and author, shares his unconventional career journey from medicine to VC at Amplitude Ventures. He reveals vital fundraising strategies from an investor's perspective, offers practical tips for crafting pitch decks that capture attention, discusses why always being in the mode of seeking funds is so important, expands on the value of building extensive networks, and talks about the cumulative effect of small improvements. He also provides guidance on staying open and ready for career shifts in today’s fast-paced professional environment as outlined in his latest book.

Abhita Batra, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Neuro42, is at the forefront of altering neurological diagnostics for good. The company recently received 510(k) clearance for its portable head and brain MRI system, which integrates MRI, AI, and robotics in one platform. Neuro42's system is a compact, easy-to-use solution for urgent care and clinical settings. In this interview, Abhita talks about her approach to building strategy at early-stage companies, the importance of a good team and thorough market analysis, and how to take a nuanced approach with regulatory bodies.

Under the guidance of Ananth Ravi, MOLLI Surgical has developed an award-winning, wire-free soft tissue localization technology for breast cancer surgery. Their device, MOLLI, precisely marks the location of lesions for removal during surgery and is setting a new standard for patient comfort compared to traditional methods. In this interview, Ananth unpacks his story, touching upon the benefits of being in close contact with a medical ecosystem, the importance of intuitive design, the ideal role of regulatory consultants, and the funding strategies he employs for MOLLI.

Harlee Sorkin’s company, InterShunt Technologies, is leading the development of a groundbreaking minimally invasive catheter designed to treat heart failure. The technique they use focuses on creating a shunt within the heart. By improving blood flow and lessening the heart's workload, it holds promise of easing heart failure symptoms, potentially setting a new standard in patient care. In this interview, Harlee delves into the nuances of leading an early-stage medtech company and covers essential topics such as development prioritization and capital fundraising. He also shares what it’s like to navigate clinical and regulatory challenges as a first-time medtech entrepreneur and how to effectively engage with stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem.

Patrick Anquetil, CEO of Portal Instruments, has extensive experience in guiding bioengineering companies from their nascent stages to market success. At Portal, they are developing a novel needle-free drug delivery system. This cutting-edge technology promises to revolutionize how medications are administered, making the process less invasive, more precise, and more comfortable for patients. In this interview, Patrick talks about how he landed on Portal’s business model, how his team condenses timelines across key company functions, and why their diverse set of partners is a golden asset to the company.

We sat down with Tess Cosad, a femtech enthusiast and CEO of Béa Fertility. Founded in 2020, Béa offers innovative, hormone-free, accessible, at-home fertility treatments and ovulation tracking as an alternative to traditional clinic-based offerings. Their flagship product simplifies the fertility journey thanks to its user-friendly design. In this interview, Tess delves into the challenges and triumphs of launching a consumer-facing product, the importance of a solid design team, how to be comfortable making decisions with imperfect information, and the lessons she learned about being a CEO while raising funds.

In this episode, we sit down with Carla Spina, the pioneering force behind Noa Therapeutics. Carla and her team are developing treatments for inflammatory skin diseases with their innovative multimodal small-molecule therapies. Carla shares her invaluable experiences on the importance of engaging actively with the startup ecosystem and staying connected with those who are shaping the field. We talk about how building a company is a collaborative venture that requires a strong network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts, and the significance of authentic interaction when reaching out to a variety of potential stakeholders.