Medsider: Learn from Medtech and Healthtech Founders and CEOs

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Steffen Hovard, CEO of Neuspera Medical, where his team is developing a novel, less invasive device that uses neuromodulation to treat conditions like overactive bladder.

Previously, Steffen spent two decades at Coloplast, where he held various senior leadership roles that contributed to the company’s growth, including the acquisition of a Minneapolis-based urology business in 2005. With deep expertise in the space, he has consistently driven growth and innovation across multiple functions, positioning himself as a leader of leaders in medtech, with board roles at Medical Alley and AdvaMed.

In this interview, Steffen talks about confirming market fit before investing, building an early network for key hires and investors, aligning development speed with each phase, engaging with regulators early, and taking a steady, relationship-driven approach to fundraising.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Steffen Hovard.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with returning guest, Don Crawford, CEO of CorVista Health. CorVista is developing a non-invasive medical device that uses advanced machine-learned algorithms to detect heart conditions, right in a doctor’s office.

Don's career began at Medtronic, followed by progressively senior sales and marketing roles at Guidant Corporation, Ventritex, and Intermedics, including overseeing a $100 million international cardiovascular business. Before CorVista, he led Sapheon, a venous device company, to a $238 million acquisition by Covidien.

In this interview, Don talks about the need for focus in startups, the importance of precise data collection, and the value of transparency and respect within teams. He also shares his approach to hiring and building a top-notch group of people.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Don Crawford.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with, Tim Rosa, CEO of Somnee, a company developing wearables based on personalized neuroscience to improve sleep quality. 

Previously, Tim was the CMO at Fitbit, where he played a key role in establishing the health and fitness wearables category. He built the organization’s global marketing function, contributing to the sale of over 140 million devices in 100+ countries. Additionally, he helped drive the company’s IPO and its eventual $2.1 billion sale to Google. Tim has also advised and worked with major brands like Electronic Arts, 2K Sports, ESPN Video Games, and Jasper Health.

In this interview, Tim shares insights on building and scaling successful brands based on real customer experiences, keeping messaging clear, and using brand strategy as a business foundation. He also shares why solid data and clinical evidence in OTC products are essential and how he generates value out of ongoing research.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Tim Rosa.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with medtech veteran, Eric Goslau, the co-founder and CEO of Transverse Medical. His startup is developing the Point Guard Cerebral Embolic Protection device that shields the brain from debris during cardiovascular procedures, reducing the risk of strokes.
 
Co-inventor of Point Guard, Eric has 29 years of experience in leadership roles across sales, marketing, and product development. At Transverse, Eric oversees all aspects of the company, including fundraising, clinical planning, and regulatory strategy. He has successfully raised over $14 million through innovative financing strategies.

In this interview, Eric shares how his background in sales helps him manage various functions of the company, how fundraising cycles have worked for Transverse, and his philosophy when it comes to product development: the enemy of good is perfect.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Eric Goslau.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with the exuberant Aakash Shah, co-founder and CEO of Wyndly, a telehealth startup that helps people overcome their allergies with personalized, at-home treatment plans.

Aakash was part of the Y Combinator W21 batch. As the CEO of Wyndly, he’s led the company from early inception through product development and eventual commercialization. Aakash holds dual degrees in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia. Outside of Wyndly, he often presents on healthcare, telehealth, and startups, advises entrepreneurs, and hosts the Founders and Builders podcast.

In this interview, Aakash shares insights on simplifying healthcare access by meeting patients online and emphasizes the importance of learning by doing to accelerate personal and business growth. Aakash also talks about the power of storytelling when engaging customers and investors, and how to leverage video-based social media to reach both consumers and decision-makers effectively.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Aakash Shah.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Ajay Shah, co-founder and CEO of Cytovale. The company is helping solve the sepsis problem with IntelliSep, a simple, cost-effective, and quick sepsis test. 

Ajay is a serial entrepreneur and engineer with expertise in cell-based diagnostic technologies. Before Cytovale, Ajay co-founded two other life sciences startups, one of which was acquired in 2012. In 2023, Ajay raised a Series C financing round of over $80 million and brought Cytovale’s sepsis test to market. 

In this interview, Ajay shares why CEOs should immerse themselves in the problem they’re hoping to tackle, how he nurtures relationships with investors over time, and his opinions on making the transition to entrepreneurship from a non-commercial career path. 

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Ajay Shah.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an insightful chat with Brian Fahey, CEO of Adona Medical, which is a Shifamed-portfolio company. The Adona Interatrial Shunt is a smart implant designed to enable individualized management of heart failure. 

Before Adona, Brian founded a critical care company, Niveus Medical. He also spent time at J&J Innovation, specializing in drug-device products for oncology, and contributed to the leadership team at Arrinex, a neuromodulation company in the ENT space. An alumnus of the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Program, Brian holds a Ph.D. from Duke University.

In this interview, Brian talks about the importance of identifying and mitigating medtech’s three major risk factors, how to assess ideas strategically, and how to approach investors and potential M&A transactions. 

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Brian Fahey.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Konrad Morzkowski, co-founder and CEO of WearLinq. The startup is commercializing eWave, an FDA-cleared EKG monitor for continuous cardiac monitoring. 

Konrad is an engineer from Sweden and a member of Forbes’ 30 under 30 list. After obtaining an MS at Stanford – where he met his co-founders and raised his first round – Konrad dove right into entrepreneurship with WearLinq, a company commercializing consumer-facing digital healthcare solutions with an initial focus on EKG monitoring. 

In this interview, Konrad shares how he optimizes fundraising efforts by aligning them with important milestones, his unconventional methods to gather voice of customer research, and how his startup moved rapidly through product design iterations. 

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Konrad Morzkowski.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had a fun chat with Bryan Lord, President and CEO of Pristine Surgical. Pristine's flagship product, Summit, is a 4K, single-use digital arthroscope that streamlines arthroscopic procedures.

Bryan started his career as a “deal guy” – originally a tech lawyer in Boston, and always involved in startups. He has a wealth of experience across various technology sectors including semiconductors, enterprise software, and medtech, and spanning roles in corporate finance, technology licensing, and M&A. Before Pristine, Bryan also founded three venture organizations: New Venture Advisors, Orthopedic Venture Partners, and Innovation Alliance.

In this interview, Bryan shares the story of how he evolved his career to become a medtech entrepreneur and the lessons he learned along the way—about how to protect your competitive advantage, how to achieve market pull vs. market push, and the importance of collaborating with experienced mentors.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Bryan Lord.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an insightful chat with Amarpreet Sawhney, inventor, serial entrepreneur, and CEO of a few startups, including Instylla, which is developing polymerizing liquid embolics that can be used to shut down blood supply to hypervascular tumors and control bleeding.

Amar is also the CEO of Rejoni, Sealonix, and Pramand. His FDA-approved inventions include ReSure Sealant and Dextenza for ophthalmology, DuraSeal for neurosurgery, FocalSeal for lung surgery, Mynx for femoral puncture sealing, and SpaceOAR for prostate cancer radiotherapy. Together, they have impacted over 8 million patients globally.

In this episode, Amar shares his frameworks on risk assessment for medtech startups, tips on clinical study design, and how to prioritize indications when working on platform technologies.

Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:

First, if you’re into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.

Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You’ll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!

We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and a curated investor database to help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!

In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VI. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.

Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Amar Sawhney.