Why Focusing on Pain Killers is Imperative for Medical Device Startups: Interview with Daniel Hawkins, CEO of Shockwave Medical
Daniel Hawkins is the President and CEO of Shockwave Medical. He began his career in marketing and business development roles for Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, otherwise known as ACS, which is now part of Abbott Vascular. Following ACS, he held senior roles in general management, marketing, and business development with a number of...
The Importance of Having Investors as Customers: Interview with Eric Stone, CEO of Velano Vascular
Eric Stone cofounded Velano Vascular with Dr. Pitou Devgon, an internal medicine physician. Velano’s first device, PIVO, enables needle-free blood draws directly from peripheral IV catheters. Velano Vascular is backed by a series of well-respected investment firms, leading U.S. health systems, and dozens of health industry...
The Biggest Mistakes Medical Device Companies Make When Commercializing in Europe: Interview with Michael Branagan-Harris, CEO of Device Access UK
Michael Branagan-Harris is the CEO of Device Access UK and has been involved in the marketing of medical devices to the National Health Service (NHS) for the last 27 years. Products he’s commercialized range from simple wound dressings to the introduction of the Lap Band for obesity, endovascular graft repair, endo laparoscopic surgery,...
Conquering the Coverage and Reimbursement Landscape: Interview with Bruce Shook, President of Intact Vascular
Bruce Shook joined Intact Vascular in 2014 as President and CEO. A highly-experienced, medical device executive with more than 30 years of industry experience, Bruce was previously Co-founder, Director, President, and CEO of Neuronetics, which is a privately held medical device company that markets a non-invasive brain stimulation...
How to Go from Physician to Medtech Entrepreneur: Interview with Dr. Bob Smouse, CEO of BrightWater Medical
Dr. Bob Smouse has over 20 years of experience in interventional radiology, endovascular surgery and clinical research. In addition to acting as CEO and CMO of BrightWater Medical and teaching at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he provides interventional medical services to local hospitals through Central Illinois...
Managing a Clinical Trial with a Small Team and Lessons Learned Raising Money for an Early Stage Medtech Startup: Interview with Dr. Marie Johnson, Founder of AUM Cardiovascular
More than a decade ago, AUM Cardiovascular founder Dr. Marie Johnson was a doctoral student when tragedy struck her and her family. Her husband, Rob, passed away suddenly at the age of 41. He had blockages in his coronary arteries including a ruptured plaque in the left anterior descending artery supplying a large part of […]
The Power of Networking in Medtech, Challenges in Developing the Renal Denervation Market, and the Value of Cross-Functional Experience: Interview with Shaun Bagai, CEO of RenovoRx
Shaun Bagai is the CEO of RenovoRx. He has over 16 years of medtech experience across multiple functional areas like clinical research, sales, marketing, and market development. He was instrumental in developing the European market for renal denervation, which led to the acquisition of the first renal denervation company, Ardian,...
The Importance of Medical Device Sales Experience, the Rocket Ship that was Acclarent, and How to Achieve Personal Growth as a Medtech Leader: Interview with Bill Facteau, President and CEO of Earlens
Bill Facteau joined Earlens Corporation as Chairman, President, and CEO in November of 2013. Most recently, he was the Vice Chairman of ExploraMed, a medical device incubator based on the West Coast and an Entrepreneur in Residence at New Enterprise Associates. Previously, Bill was at Johnson & Johnson from early 2010 through early...
Why Curiosity and Persistence are Crucial Characteristics for Medtech Entrepreneurs: Interview with the Legendary Dr. John Simpson, Executive Chairman of Avinger
Dr. John Simpson. Even if you’re a medical device newbie, you’ve probably heard of him. He’s credited with inventing and commercializing the first over-the-wire balloon catheter used for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). This single idea created the field of interventional cardiology as we know it...
4 Rounds of Financing, CE Mark, FDA Clearance, and a Category 1 CPT Code – How NeoTract has Grinded its Way to Success Over the Past Decade
Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, has famously stated, “Timing, perseverance, and 10 years of trying will eventually make you look like an overnight success.” In the world of medtech startups, this is almost always the case. And it’s certainly true with UroLift, a device that came to life in the fall of 2004. […]