Medsider Radio: Learn From Proven Medtech And Healthcare Experts

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with the  HealthQuest Capital Founder,  Garheng Kong, who worked at GlaxoSmithKline, McKinsey and TherOx before transitioning into the world of healthcare investing with Intersouth Partners and Sofinnova. Garheng’s resume is broad and deep. He has earned numerous degrees from two of the nation’s most prestigious universities — Stanford and Duke — and funded an equally impressive collection of healthcare companies throughout his career. Garheng and his team see up to 1,000 investment opportunities in any given year. The experience has taught him how to assess which ones are right for the firm, and which he can afford to let go. In this interview, Garheng shares keen insights for startups and innovators preparing to pursue funding, along with observations about how the healthcare industry has shifted thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healtht

In this episode of Medsider Radio,   we’re talking with Lightpoint Medical CEO Graeme Smith, a medtech veteran with over 32 years of experience in the industry. After joining Lightpoint earlier this year, Graeme was charged with commercializing its drop-in gamma probe, SENSEI, a revolutionary tool used in surgeries to non-invasively identify the presence of cancer. In this Medsider interview, Graeme shares his tried and true strategies for successful commercial launches and how to introduce products using a global distribution model. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get access to gated articles, and lots of other interesting healthcare content. Second, if you want even more inside info from proven experts, think about a Medsider premium membership. We talk to experienced healthca

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with Steve Anderson, CEO of Preceptis Medical, and a serial medical device entrepreneur. While serving as CEO of Acorn Cardiovascular, he and a neighbor came up with the idea of creating a device that could help doctors insert a tube in children’s ears in the doctor’s office instead of the operating room. They ended up starting Preceptis Medical in 2011, and in 2020, their Hummingbird device received clearance from the FDA.In this discussion, Steve explains why your value proposition needs to be front of mind from the start, why having someone who’s been there and done it before can help you navigate the process of getting to market, and writing a study protocol that shows regulators exactly what they need to see.Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsl

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with chemical engineer and serial entrepreneur Peter Vranes, the Co-Founder and CEO of Nutromics, an Australian medtech company that is developing a digitally connected wearable patch to track molecular targets.Previously, Peter founded Biocore Technologies, which developed natural cosmeceutical skincare brands with distribution in 1,500 retailers throughout Australia. He had a successful exit in 2013.In this fun discussion, Peter explains how he learned to embrace publicity as a necessary part of doing business, why getting your device approved goes beyond government regulatory bodies, and the reason he never stops raising money. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get access to gated articles, and lots of other interesting healthcare

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with ReShape Lifesciences CEO Bart Bandy, who started out selling medical equipment door-to-door, then landed a spot in the first sales class for Ethicon Endo-Surgery. He ran the company’s global sales and managed the San Francisco division, before becoming Group Marketing Manager of Karl Storz Endoscopy.In 1999, Bart was recruited to become COO of laparoscopic weight loss startup Inamed. He helped manage the company’s $3.5 billion acquisition by Allergan in 2006. Then in 2019, he became CEO and President of ReShape, which had just acquired the Lap-Band, previously owned by Inamed.In this discussion, Bart explains how he writes and tests his presentations for maximum impact, the challenges and solutions of moving manufacturing from Costa Rica to the U.S., and why he wanted to add telemedicine to ReShape Lifesciences without moving away from the brand’s core mission.Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning fr

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with IONIQ Sciences CEO Jared Bauer, who has spent his career turning around struggling medtech companies. He acquired BurnFree Products in 2012, selling it four years later. In 2014, he became CEO of mobile diagnostics system ApolloDx. Shortly after, he became CEO of spin-off company Cibus Biotechnologies, which makes a handheld diagnostic system to test for infectious diseases. In this conversation, Jared explains the two key factors he looks at when determining whether a medical device company is worth trying to turn around, why finding investors who really care about your mission is a strategic benefit, and why he hopes that IONIQ’s devices will one day have a place in your medicine cabinet. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with health economist, Nic Anderson, who spent seven years at Intermountain Healthcare on the payer side. He learned first-hand what evidence insurers need to convince them to cover a new medical device or healthcare technology. After co-founding a biotech company, Nic turned his experience as a payer into an in-demand consultancy. He’s also served on payer advisory boards, and was an expert in residence at a digital health accelerator in Dubai. He now works as a health economist for Boston Scientific.In this conversation, Nic explains why medtech companies, in particular, need to win over insurance payers, how investing early in a health economics and market access (HEMA) team will help you do that, and how to write a dossier a payer won’t want to throw out the window.Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live,

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we caught up with Giovanni Lauricella and Aaron Green to discuss all things related to fundraising for early-stage medical device start-ups. In this interview, we learn about the ins and outs of raising medtech capital, what investors want to see in a medical device start-up, and best practices for pitching potential partners.But first, here’s a bit more about their backgrounds:Giovanni Lauricella holds a Bachelor’s in Finance, a Master’s in Regulatory Affairs in Medical Devices, Biologics, and Pharmaceuticals, a Harvard University Certificate for Advanced Negotiation Strategy, and a Università Bocconi Certificate for Private Equity and Venture Capital. He has more than a decade of experience partnering with startups, SMEs, boards of directors, and investors on structuring technical and commercial teams from the C-level to individual contributors. Giovanni and his team have hired more than 7,000 employees for over 500 startups in more than 40 countries, and assisted in facil

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with Dr. Asha Parekh, a biomedical engineer and the co-founder & CEO of FrontLine Medical Technologies, a Canadian medical device startup. FrontLine has developed a novel REBOA device that helps trauma patients survive in emergency situations. If you're not familiar, REBOA stands for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta.In this discussion with Asha, we learn about her medtech journey from early-stage device prototypes to raising venture capital to navigating the global regulatory landscape.But first, here’s a bit more on Asha’s background:Asha has a PhD in biomedical engineering from Western University in Ontario. In 2015, she partnered with Dr. Adam Power, a practicing vascular surgeon, to co-found FrontLine, which makes the COBRA-OS device for trauma patients. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we're chatting with Mark Toland, a veteran medtech executive who is the CEO of MMI, a startup medical device company in the robotics space. MMI stands for Medical Micro Instruments, and it’s an Italian company that’s developing a surgical robotic system capable of performing microsurgery on capillaries, small vessels, and other parts of the body existing robotic technology can’t reach.We’re going to dig into the robotics arena and chat about things like growing medtech startups, raising venture capital, positioning for an acquisition, and keys to successful commercial launches.First, here’s a bit more on Mark's background: Before MMI, Mark was the CEO of Corindus, transforming the company into a leader in vascular robotics before it was acquired by Siemens for $1.1 billion in 2019. Prior to Corindus, Mark was at Boston Scientific for over 15 years, serving as Senior Vice President, where he built the company’s global solutions business and led all aspects of the U.S. commerc

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we're catching up with Derek Herrera, who has an incredible story to share. He’s a decorated Marine veteran who’s turned a major combat injury into a mission to help other patients with spinal injuries. Derek is the founder of UroDev, originally Spinal Singularity, as well as Habit Camera, the first low-cost, wireless camera purpose-built for skin inspection and telehealth.UroDev is on the cusp of bringing its Intelliflow device to market, a product uniquely designed for spinal injury patients who have urology conditions like neurogenic bladder that require extensive catheter use. Today, Derek and I are going to chat about his journey from the military to the medical device space, and get into what he’s learned about becoming a first-time entrepreneur with a big idea but not a lot of funding or experience. First, here’s a bit more on Derek’s background: He graduated from the United States Naval Academy and served as a Marine Infantry and Special Operations Officer for over e

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re catching up with Bob Paulson, the CEO of VentureMed, a peripheral vascular medtech startup. Bob has over two decades of medical device executive experience, as the CEO of NxThera and Restore Medical, and in leadership roles at Endocardial Solutions, Advanced Bionics, and Medtronic. Bob’s excited multiple medtech startups, and today, he’s going to share his vast expertise, including capital fundraising tips, keys to early-stage medical device product development, and best practices when it comes to clinical evidence and insurance reimbursement.But first, here’s a bit more on Bob’s background:In addition to being CEO of VentureMed, he serves as a Director for Veran Medical Technologies and Spineology. Before he got started in medtech, he worked for General Mills, got an MBA from St. Thomas, and went to law school at Vanderbilt. Bob got involved with medical devices at Medtronic in the early 90s and later was CEO of NxThera, which commercialized benign prostate hyperplasi

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re chatting with Dr. Scott Wolf, a prolific medical device entrepreneur and investor who founded Aerin Medical to bring non-surgical therapies to patients with common nasal airway problems. Prior to founding Aerin Medical, Scott started Zeltiq Aesthetics, the maker of CoolSculpting. His other startups include Endogastric Solutions and Cardiac Dimensions, and he was a partner at Prospect Venture Partners as well as VP at Frazier Healthcare Ventures, both leading life science venture capital firms. Scott received his M.D. from George Washington University and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.You won’t find many people with more hands-on medtech experience than Dr. Scott Wolf, and today he’s going to share his expertise with the Medsider community. In this interview, we’ll discuss Aerin’s technology, break down the advantages of cash-pay versus insurance reimbursement, and get Scott’s advice for would-be founders hoping to turn a great idea into a real prototype.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with Rohan Dixit, the Founder and CEO of Lief Therapeutics, which makes consumer- and clinical-grade wearable devices for mental health. Rohan is a neuroscientist who started his career as a researcher with Stanford and Harvard. Rohan founded BrainBot, his first company, at age 23. He’s been the CEO of Lief since 2015.Today, Rohan’s going to break down how Lief started, and we’ll get into product development, how he approaches clinical research, why they initially launched their device as an over-the-counter consumer product, and many other topics related to medtech startups. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get access to gated articles, and lots of other interesting healthcare content. Second, if you want even more inside info fro

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with Nadim Yared, the CEO of CVRx, a pioneer in neuromodulation for cardiovascular diseases. Nadim has been CEO for 15 years and led CVRx through some major pivots and incredible successes. Today, we’re going to discuss his journey with the company, including Nadim’s expertise on clinical trial strategy, startup funding, and working with FDA & CMS. But first, here’s a bit more about Nadim Yared and his background: Nadim holds two graduate degrees, and started his career with GE. After getting his MBA at INSEAD, he went on to run several business units for GE, then spent four years as the head of Medtronic’s Surgical Navigation division. Nadim was then recruited to take the helm at CVRx in 2006, and has been CEO ever since. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re talking with the CEO of Lungpacer Medical, Doug Evans. Lungpacer is developing a novel therapeutic solution that preserves the strength of the diaphragm muscle for critically-ill patients on mechanical ventilation.Doug is also a board member of Intact Vascular, which was acquired by Philips, and the former COO of Kensey Nash. He’s a medtech veteran with decades of experience launching startups, developing products, working with payers & regulators, and commercializing novel technologies. Today, we’re going to discuss all these topics, and hear more about Lungpacer’s impressive technology. But first, here’s a bit more about Doug Evans and his background: Doug started his career at GE in business development, and later joined Kensey Nash when it was just a startup with fewer than ten employees. As COO, he led Kensey’s growth to over 400 employees, across the span of 20 years, before they were acquired by Royal DSM. After that, Doug began working with other startups l

We recently caught up with Renee Ryan, the CEO of Cala Health, a bioelectronic medicine company that’s focused on wearable neuromodulation therapies that deliver individualized peripheral nerve stimulation. Renee has 25 years of experience in healthcare as an executive and investor, and in this episode, she shares her expertise with the Medsider community. Renee will discuss some common mistakes that medtech startups make, and talk about what she looks for as an investor in early-stage companies. She shares tips on navigating the regulatory waters and obtaining insurance coverage & reimbursement. Renee also gives us some key learnings from her time at Johnson & Johnson, and talks about what’s new at Cala Health, including their recent FDA breakthrough device designation. But first, here’s a bit more on Renee’s background:She has 25 years of experience in the healthcare space. Previously, Renee led the medical technology investments for Johnson & Johnson Innovation on the West Coast and Asia Pacifi

We recently caught up with medtech start-up extraordinaire, Mike Wallace, who shares his insights and experiences with the Medsider community. Mike is the co-founder and CEO of DeVoro Medical, an early-stage medical device company focused on developing innovative devices for peripheral thrombectomy.Mike says the initial idea or concept for a medtech company is just 5% of the journey. Medsider is all about shining light on that other 95%!In this conversation with Mike, he’ll give tips to newcomers, including some mistakes entrepreneurs often make in the early stages of their companies. Mike explains how you can pivot when an idea doesn’t pan out, and he’ll give his expertise on seed-stage fundraising as well as navigating the regulatory waters. Plus, more on his current work with DeVoro, including how he started working on problems related to peripheral thrombectomy.But first, a bit more on Mike’s medtech background:Prior to co-founding DeVoro Medical, Mike served as Chief Technical Officer and VP of Operation

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re catching up with Bruce Shook, the President & CEO of Vesper Medical. Bruce is a medical device executive with more than 30 years of experience, and today, he’s sharing his insights with the Medsider community!In this conversation, we’ll discuss key aspects of running a medtech company, from the early design and fundraising stages through an eventual sale and exit. Bruce shares his expertise on raising start-up capital, designing and prototyping products, navigating the regulatory landscape, and managing reimbursement and coverage strategies. But first, here’s a bit about Bruce Shook’s background:Most recently, Bruce served as CEO of Intact Vascular, which sold to Philips. Prior to Intact Vascular and Vesper Medical, Bruce was co-founder, Director, President and CEO of Neuronetics, a publicly traded device company that markets a non-invasive brain stimulation technology for the treatment of depression.Previously, he was co-founder, Director, President and CEO at Neu

In this episode of Medsider Radio,  we’re talking with Mike Kujak, the President & CEO of Francis Medical.Mike breaks down Francis’ innovative new water vapor technologies, and provides some advice about developing the alpha & beta versions of a medtech product. We’ll also discuss how to navigate the early-stage regulatory environment, and hear Mike’s views on how best to plan & execute a clinical research strategy.Then we’ll discuss fundraising strategies and ask Mike what’s next for Francis Medical as the company plans for its second-generation development program. But first, a bit more on Mike's background...Most recently, Mike was the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of International Markets for NxThera. Prior to that, he was the Vice President and General Manager of the Prostate Health business unit of American Medical Systems.Mike received his MBA from the University of St. Thomas and has a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and chemistry from the University of South Dako