Medsider: Learn from Medtech and Healthtech Founders and CEOs

This interview is part of a throwback mini-series to several years ago when I chatted with Kevin Bitterman, who at the time, was with Polaris Venture Partners. He’s now a partner with Atlas Venture, but the lessons you can glean from this discussion still hold true. Namely: What medtech venture capitalists like to see in a startup and how these early-stage medical device companies can best positio...

This interview is part of a throwback mini-series from several years ago when I chatted with my good friend, Joe Hage. He’s the CEO of Medical Marcom and Chairman of the Medical Devices Group, a community of over 350,000 medical device members. In this entertaining interview, here are some of the things we talked about: How Joe, with a limited medical device industry background, helped Cardiac Sci...

This interview is a throwback to several years ago when I chatted with Dr. David Albert about his incredible journey in bringing the AliveCor ECG app to market. Here are a few things we covered: The amazing story of how AliveCor’s iPhone app helped save a man’s life while on an airplane! The roller coaster ride Dr. Albert experienced in his pursuits to develop the ECG app. Five key lessons you can...

On this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Travis Sessions, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Biomerics , a leading mid-market interventional device contract manufacturer. He's also a Managing Partner of Med Venture Holdings , a unique medtech growth equity investor. With over 20 years of business management experience, Travis has successfully built and grown multiple medical device...

In this episode of Medsider Radio, our guest is Matthew Amsden, the Founder, and CEO of ProofPilot , a platform designed to help people design, launch and participate in clinical trials. ProofPilot’s mission statement revolves around making it incredibly easy to run scientifically-valid research studies. They’re dedicated to making research study participation accessible, interesting, and fun.   ...

Over the last 20 years, Dr. Tej Singh has served as the Founder and Chief of Vascular Surgery for three large, multidisciplinary vascular programs in Silicon Valley. He has vast experience with renal failure and vascular access procedures and is acutely focused on his first company, Fist Assist Devices . Dr. Singh’s company is developing the first renal care wearable device for venous enlargement...

I recently sat down with Katherine Ward , Chief Commercial Officer and managing director for Healthy.io. She has worked in healthcare for 28 years — including 15 years with the UK National Health Service and 11 years with United Health Group where she was the Chief Executive with United Health UK and Chief Growth Officer with Optimum International.  In this conversation, we cover what Healthy.io d...

In this episode of Medsider Radio , we downloaded with Jennifer Fried, the CEO and Co-Founder of ExplORer Surgical . Jennifer founded the company with Dr. Alex Langerman as an MBA student at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she received her degree with honors in finance and entrepreneurship. Previously, Jennifer was a Vice President at Park Lane Ventures, a healthcare-focu...

On this episode of Medsider Radio , I had the chance to sit down with Michael Tozzi, President and CEO of TAS Medical. Mike and his team are aiming to eliminate surgical mesh by converting hernia procedures to minimally invasive repairs. Mike has over 20 years of commercial medical device experience and specializes in investor relations, sales & marketing readiness, and improving the execution...

Joining Medsider Radio for this episode is Beverly Huss, President and CEO of Qool Therapeutics, a development-stage company working on a novel, non-invasive therapeutic hypothermia device for the preservation of tissue following catastrophic events like a heart attack, stroke, or traumatic brain injury. Previously, Beverly was the CEO of Vibrynt, a start-up medical device company dedicated to cre...

I recently had the opportunity to interview Dan Rose, CEO of the French-based medtech company LimFlow . Founded in 2012, LimFlow transformed the peripheral vasculature space by providing a lifesaving option for end-stage critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients facing amputation. LimFlow is designed to restore blood flow to the ischemic foot via deep vein arterialization, thereby prevent...

After a brief hiatus from recording podcasts, it was a privilege to dust off the microphone and interview Kyle Frye. As U.S. president of SyntheticMR , Kyle is tasked with growing and expanding the brand and business in the U.S. for the Swedish-based company that is creating the future of quantitative MRI technology. Their innovative MRI software solutions support shorter exam times and deliver mo...

A few years ago, I had the privilege of sitting down and talking with serial medtech entrepreneur Paul Buckman, who at the time, was CEO of Conventus Orthopedics.  Prior to Conventus, Paul held CEO roles at SentreHEART, Pathway Medical Technologies (which sold to Bayer HealthCare), and Devax (which sold to Biosensors International). From 2004 through 2006, Buckman served as President of the Cardio...

In late 2016, I was able to sit down with Kevin Sidow. At the time he was President & Chief Executive Officer for Moximed and had been since 2008. Prior to his time at Moximed, Kevin was President & CEO for St. Francis Medical Technologies, a privately held, venture-funded company focused on developing innovative treatments for patients suffering from degenerative spinal disorders. In Janu...

In this two-part interview , I was lucky enough to sit down with Erica Rogers, CEO of Silk Road Medical. We first spoke a few years ago and then again much more recently to catch up on what had changed at Silk Road since our first conversation. During our catch up, we discussed how Erica led her team at Silk Road through PMA approval, successful insurance coverage and reimbursement strategy, which...

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 private and public...[ read more ] Related Stories Why Intersec...

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 veterans. Before starting Velano Vascular, Stone most recently served...[ r...

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, and the...[ read more ] Related Stories How Will These 2 Majo...

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 technology for the treatment of depression. Previously...[ read mor...

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 Radiology Associates. Dr. Smouse is a...[ read more ] Related Storie...

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...[ read more ] Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for...

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, by Medtronic in 2011. Most ...[read more] Related Stories Why Inter...

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 2012 as...[ read more ] Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is a...

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 today. Over the course of his renowned medtech career...[ read more ] Relate...

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...[ read more ] Related Stories Why Intersect ENT is an Example of Hope for the Med...