Iterating Towards Perfection in Medtech: Interview with Sonavex CEO David Narrow

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an inspiring discussion with  Dr. Steven Mickelsen, CEO of Field Medical, which is developing the next generation of pulse field ablation (PFA) technology to address ventricular arrhythmias.

Starting out his career as a professional musician, Steven made a pivotal shift in his late twenties and ventured into the world of medicine. As a practicing electrophysiology (EP) physician, he has combined his medical expertise with an entrepreneurial spirit to revolutionize cardiac care. Steven made significant strides in the development of pulse field ablation (PFA) treatment with one of his previous companies, Farapulse, which sold to Boston Scientific.

In this episode, Dr. Mickelsen 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.

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 V. 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 Dr. Mickelsen.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had a riveting conversation with Anish Kaushal, an ex-physician turned healthcare investor at Amplitude Ventures, one of Canada's leading healthcare VC firms.

Anish's engagement with venture capital began at M Ventures in Amsterdam, a corporate VC fund of Merck KGaA, where he quickly developed a passion for the field. Outside of his professional pursuits, Anish is an avid reader and writer who has published over 900 articles and summarized 250 books across 50 categories. He has also authored two books, the latest of which is From Here To There: A Niche Guide to Navigating Career Transitions. 

In this interview, Anish reveals vital fundraising strategies from a VC’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

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 V. 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 Anish Kaushal.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Abhita Batra, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Neuro42. The company recently received 510(k) clearance for its portable head and brain MRI system, which integrates MRI, AI, and robotics in one platform.

Abhita holds a B.E. in Biotechnology from Panjab University, an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania, and Executive MBAs from UCLA Anderson and the National University of Singapore. Before Neuro42, she started several companies and held a variety of roles in business development and strategic consulting with organizations such as Otomagnetics and Admac Oncology. Her expertise spans across oncology, biotech, and medical devices. 

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. 

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 V. 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 Abhita Batra.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an engaging conversation with Ananth Ravi, CEO of MOLLI Surgical, a medtech startup that has developed an award-winning, wire-free soft tissue localization technology for breast cancer surgery.

Growing up in Zambia, Ananth lost his best friend to treatable brain cancer, which ignited his passion for creating equitable and innovative cancer care solutions. Before founding MOLLI Surgical, he served as a medical physicist at Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center and as clinical operations lead in brachytherapy. He held faculty appointments at Sunnybrook Research Institute, the University of Toronto, and Toronto Metropolitan University. He is also a co-inventor on numerous patents and holds several grants for medical devices. 

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. 

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 V. 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 Ananth Ravi.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Harlee Sorkin, CEO of InterShunt Technologies, a startup developing a minimally invasive catheter designed to treat heart failure. By improving blood flow and lessening the heart's workload via a shunt, the company's technology holds promise for easing heart failure symptoms.

Harlee is a co-founder of Common Place Holdings, a venture studio that has spun out eight medtech startups, including InterShunt. Before Common Place, Harlee led Traco Labs, a health and nutrition ingredient manufacturer, to a successful exit. He also served as the Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he focused on translating research ideas into commercially viable applications. 

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.

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 IV. 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 Harlee Sorkin.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an insightful discussion with Patrick Anquetil, CEO of Portal Instruments, a company 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. 

Patrick brings over 20 years of experience leading bioengineering companies from concept to commercial success. Before Portal, he co-founded two medtech startups, SynapDx and Aretais. Patrick holds a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, and advanced degrees from Harvard Business School, ETH Zurich, and the University of Tokyo. His scientific achievements have been featured in top journals and media outlets such as MIT Technology Review, Wired Magazine, PBS, and CNBC.

In this interview, Patrick talks about how he landed on Portal’s business model, how their team condenses timelines across key company functions, and why their diverse set of partners is a golden asset to the company. 

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 IV. 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 Patrick Anquetil.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Tess Cosad, a femtech enthusiast and CEO of Béa Fertility. Béa offers effective, hormone-free, affordable, at-home fertility treatments and ovulation tracking as an alternative to traditional clinic-based offerings. 

Before Béa, Tess founded Emberson Ventures, a B2B marketing agency, and Hers By Design, a femtech company. She was also the first woman to lead a digital marketing-focused accelerator program in Saudi Arabia.

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.

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 recently launched Medsider Mentors Volume IV. 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 Tess Cosad.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an awesome chat 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 began her academic journey at the University of Calgary in the fields of inorganic and analytical chemistry, and continued with a Ph.D. in Bioinorganic Chemistry at McGill University. After going to BASF in Germany to develop pharmaceutical formulations, Carla returned to Canada and led the development and global commercialization of antimicrobial wound care devices. Later, she also pioneered first-in-class pharmaceuticals for inflammatory and infectious skin diseases. Currently, she spearheads Noa Therapeutics, a Canadian biotech firm that is transforming how immune diseases are treated.

In this episode, 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.

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 have also 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 IV. 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 Carla Spina.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had a fascinating discussion with Daniel Powel, CEO of Spark Biomedical, the company behind Sparrow Ascent, a drug-free wearable device to combat opioid withdrawal symptoms. It is also advancing neurostimulation technology to address Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome. 

Daniel found his true passion in medical devices, specifically neurostimulation, in 2006 and has since launched multiple products in the space for companies like St. Jude Medical, LivaNova, and Getinge. He co-founded Spark Biomedical in 2018, which now has two FDA-cleared devices to treat opioid addiction.

In this interview, Daniel shares key insights from his journey: the importance of testing ideas and creating a MVP, diversifying funding sources, and how to make informed regulatory decisions.

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 recently launched Medsider Mentors Volume IV. 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 Daniel Powell.

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we had an enlightening conversation with Ken Mariash, a leading figure in the neuromodulation space and the CEO of Sinaptica Therapeutics, where his team is developing groundbreaking treatments for Alzheimer's disease. Their device delivers non-invasive neuromodulation therapy to key networks of the brain and has shown unprecedented improvement in treating this debilitating disease. 

Ken's two decades of experience leading sophisticated organizations has taken him from management consulting at Charles River Associates to significant roles at CSL, Baxter, and Boston Scientific. During his time at Boston, Ken was instrumental in commercialization and strategy development in the company’s $1B neuromodulation division. 

In this interview, Ken shares his time-tested wisdom, covering a range of topics from kick-starting a venture and how to approach M&A transactions, to mastering commercialization and best practices for engaging with investors.

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 recently launched Medsider Mentors Volume IV. 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 Ken Mariash.