When a personal health scare revealed the limits of existing diagnostic tools, scientist and entrepreneur Shalini Gupta saw an opportunity to build something better.

On this episode of Tech About Town, Shalini shares how that moment led to the creation of Asima Health, a startup focused on same-day, blood-based cancer screening.

She talks about the challenges of launching a biotech company as a solo founder in Canada, how her research background enabled a breakthrough in early detection and why she's focused on making cancer monitoring more accessible for survivors.

From Velocity to the FDA, it’s a conversation about perseverance, precision and purpose.

• 0:04 — Intro and why preventative health matters

• 1:51 — Shalini’s health scare and how it inspired Asima Health

• 3:33 — Turning academic research into commercial technology

• 8:56 — How the test works across multiple cancer types

• 11:57 — Why she’s focused on cancer survivors as a market entry point

• 16:48 — Navigating U.S. vs. Canadian healthcare systems

• 19:15 — Shalini’s journey as an immigrant founder and personal sacrifices

• 21:38 — Building a team in Kitchener and the support of Velocity and Communitech

• 23:51 — Virtual Fierce Founders experience and the power of mentorship

• 26:20 — Advice she’d give herself before starting the company