In this dual podcast, we talk with leaders from the American Heart Association, Philips, UPMC, and Aphelion Capital about Cardeation Capital, a new venture fund aimed at funding start-ups in the digital health and medtech fields. How did the four entities join forces? What can they offer start-ups looking to disrupt healthcare? For more information go to aphelioncapital.net . You can also learn more about Aphelion Capital, the firm managing the fund, in this Medtech Talk Podcast ....
Aug 22, 2018•32 min
MedCrypt CEO Mike Kijewski is playing a long game. At the moment, he recognizes Medtech execs aren’t placing a high priority on cybersecurity of their devices. But as technology becomes more advanced – and hospitals grow more wary – he expects demand will grow. The time is coming for Medtech to take a cue from the iPhone, he says.
Aug 10, 2018•33 min
Medtech start-ups need more firms like Aphelion Capital, investors willing to wager as little as $200,000 to get a promising idea going. Managing Partner Ned Scheetz discusses the firm’s origins, name, and plans going forward. This is the first of a two-episode package highlighting a unique joint effort between Aphelion and other co-creators of Cardeation Capital.
Jul 30, 2018•32 min
Under CEO Kevin Hykes, Relievant Medsystems is racking up some wins. The company closed on a $58 million Series E round last month and this week announced the first commercial application of its Intraspect pain-relief procedure. In this podcast, Hykes doles out some valuable career advice for wanna be CEOs and talks about the technology that could turn Relievant into a Medtech powerhouse.
Jul 13, 2018•37 min
Ask renowned vitreoretinal surgeon and inventor Steve Charles, MD, if he considers himself a surgeon or engineer first and he’ll answer – both. In this podcast, Dr. Charles says the terms “inventor” and “innovator” aren’t job titles. Innovation and inventing are what you get when insightful people commit themselves to a lifetime of learning in engineering and medicine. He gives his view of the future of innovation in the US. Here’s a hint: You won’t need to wear shades.
Jun 29, 2018•35 min
We were hoping to capture some real-world wisdom by putting three CEOs –Bill Facteau of Earlens, Bob Paulson of NxThera and John Stevens of HeartFlow –on a panel to share reimbursement war stories. Many of those attending the May 31st Medtech Conference think we got our wish.
Jun 21, 2018•33 min
In this Medtech Talk Podcast, CEO John Pedersen explains why he chose to help Augmenix roll out its SPACEOAR implant, a hydrogel that's inserted between a patient's prostate and rectum to save healthy tissue from radiation exposure. In this talk, Pedersen discusses the rise of urology - which includes the recent acquisitions of Neotract and NxThera. He also updates listeners on Augmenix's efforts to secure reimbursement. Finally, the former Boston Scientific exec offers advice to anyone working ...
Jun 13, 2018•27 min
CEOs often are assigned skill sets that define their stage of specialty: start-up CEOs, commercial CEOs, etc. Two of our guests at the Medtech Conference in Minneapolis defied those definitions by taking start-ups through commercial launches and onto the public markets. In these interviews, Tim Herbert of Inspire Medical and Adam Elsesser of Penumbra talk about the challenges of leading a company from Day 1 to IPO.
Jun 07, 2018•24 min
Join us on Thursday at the Medtech Conference in Minneapolis to hear from Congressman Erik Paulsen . A longtime proponent of the Medtech industry, Rep. Paulsen most recently co-authored a letter asking the Trump administration to remove medical technology products from a list of Chinese imports subject to protective tariffs. The five-term Congressman also has fought against the Medical Device Tax. The Medtech Conference co-chairs and advisory board also are pleased to honor Dave Amerson, CEO of ...
May 29, 2018•7 min
TransEnterix President and CEO Todd Pope took the helm of the start-up to create a new single-port surgery system. Little did Todd know he'd be running a global robotics company that's now moving into multiple markets, including the US. In this interview, Pope takes us through the career path that led him to run the start-up in 2008. He then walks us through the company's aggressive moves to develop its Spider Surgical System before making an ambitious move into robotics. Now, TransEnterix is ro...
May 18, 2018•49 min
David Van Sickle, CEO & Co-Founder of Propeller Health, brings his public health background to health tech start-up Propeller Health. The company has created a line of sensors that work in conjunction with inhalers and spirometers to measure medication intake and breathing capacity of people with asthma. The start-up has undertaken some bold projects with entire cities including Louisville to demonstrate how tools such as these can benefit communities. In this podcast Van Sickle discusses th...
May 11, 2018•33 min
Boston Scientific's acquisition of NxThera obviously signals an end of one era. The 10-year-old start-up will live inside the global giant, of course, but we ask CEO Bob Paulson what the sale means to him on a personal level. Paulson also walks us through his unorthodox career in marketing, corporate law, accounting, and finally leading a highly successful Medtech Start-Up.
May 07, 2018•44 min
In 2010, John McCutcheon joined Ceterix, a start-up with big goals and a surer FDA path than his previous company. McCutcheon recounts the FDA's battering of that company, Emphasys, and explains how his current company is rolling today.
Apr 26, 2018•36 min
Intact Vascular recently secured an additional $20m to push the Tack Endovascular System to PMA approval. CEO Bruce Shook discusses the round, the potential for Tack, and shares that he's actually the CEO of TWO Medtech start-ups.
Apr 19, 2018•31 min
CEO Lisa Earnhardt , who appeared as the first guest on the Medtech Talk Podcast, returns in episode number 100 to share why she took the helm of the 12-person start-up 10 years ago, and how Intersect ENT has managed company culture over years of enormous growth. She also discusses where Intersect ENT is headed in the future, with new products and business development projects.
Apr 10, 2018•32 min
Anne Sissel, vice president of Baxter Ventures, says she followed the numbers into Medtech. Now, she enjoys using the strategic's capital to help start-ups find ways to curtail costs and create new treatments for dreadful diseases.
Apr 04, 2018•34 min
Jim Buck , President and CEO of Mardil Medical, shares his personal and professional Medtech stories. The common thread? He doesn't give up. One result may be Mardil pushing for the rebirth of a once high-flying Medtech technology. In this podcast you'll hear: His tragic, but uplifting path to Medtech. Where his first stint as CEO went wrong. How he came to Mardil. How he believes Mardil will succeed where others haven't....
Mar 27, 2018•52 min
When we last spoke with Jason Lettmann , general partner at Lightstone Ventures, he had just set up his firm's shop in Ireland. Three years later, the VC returns to Menlo Park and shares his Medtech observations from abroad. In this podcast, Lettmann compares the entrepreneurial infrastructure in the US with Ireland. He also discusses Lightstone's recent fund and tries to explain why he doesn't tweet.
Mar 23, 2018•27 min
John H. Stevens, MD, was too excited to sleep when he first heard what HeartFlow's technology could potentially do. Eight years later, he's sleeping a lot better, having secured $240 million to fund the company's commercial rollout of the HeartFlow Analysis system. Overview : HeartFlow has built a strong financial argument for its imaging system. Surprises : This stuff belongs on Star Trek. Very cool. Takeaway : "There are no shortcuts."...
Mar 06, 2018•35 min
The Stanford Biodesign program created another promising start-up in Zenflow. Co-founder and CEO Nick Damiano explains how the program's fellows identified the opportunity in BPH and found the right tech to excite investors. Zenflow drew some early capital from unusual sources before embarking on an exhausting pursuit of the right Series A syndicate. Damiano shares some advice for other capital-hungry start-ups. Overview : Great to see a monster Medtech Series A! Surprises : Zenflow is working o...
Feb 27, 2018•33 min
Tripp Peake co-founded Long River Ventures in 2000, just before the tech and venture capital industries took a dive. The firm survived, thrived, and is very much alive raising a $100 million fund under a new brand, LRVHealth. The new name and tight healthcare focus reflects the firm's strong connections to hospital networks and other healthcare institutions making up its limited partner base. With a broader investment team and new purpose, LRVHealth is looking to connect healthcare innovators an...
Feb 16, 2018•37 min
Khalid Ishaque says Bioelectronic Medicine has made great strides in treating hearing loss, depression, and other maladies and shows great promise in treating neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease. Yet, most people still see it as more science fiction than science fact. But that's changing. "What we are demonstrating with advances in miniaturization, imaging, and increased understanding of the cellular pathways and the brain is that what was once considered impossible is becoming possi...
Feb 06, 2018•33 min
Hard to find anyone working harder than Jonathan Norris to help us see the forest for the trees. Jon is a fixture at many conferences including – thankfully – the upcoming Medtech Conference on May 31. But we wanted to get to his insights early. In this Medtech Talk Podcast, Jon and I discuss his report, “ Trends in Healthcare Investments and Exits 2018 .” Overview : Jon shares some positive views for Medtech. Good to hear. Surprises : I didn’t know Jon’s initial career choice. Regrets : I didn’...
Jan 29, 2018•42 min
Todd Berg has a bit of a winning streak going. Berg worked at three Medtech start-ups prior to accepting the CEO post at exciting new start-up Metavention , and all three companies would be acquired including Torax Medical , the GERD company Berg led from start to finish.What led Berg to Medtech? Why did he co-found Torax? How did he find success raising capital? How is he approaching his new challenge leading Metavention, which is developing a novel, new potential treatment for type 2 diabetes?...
Jan 23, 2018•36 min
What Went into Fractyl’s $44 million Round? CEO and co-founder Harith Rajagopalan, MD, PhD, discusses his approach to raising new capital and to building the right board.
Jan 08, 2018•37 min
Anders Wold, president and CEO of GE’s Clinical Care Solutions, is still fascinated by the power new technology can deliver to healthcare. So he’s understandably excited about the opportunities facing this division of GE – and the entire company as well – as we move into healthcare of the future.
Dec 15, 2017•34 min
The power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning looms over Medtech as a growing force that will bring change, good or bad. In this MedtechTalk Podcast, Michael D. Abramoff, MD, PhD, president and co-founder of IDx, tells how the start-up is using AI to better diagnose diabetic retinopathy. The company hopes to secure FDA approval for its IDx-DR system following the completion of clinical trials this summer.
Dec 05, 2017•24 min
Medtech and Digital Health technology increasingly have more and more in common. In this Medtech Talk Podcast, Robert Mittendorff, MD, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, explains how Digital Health companies are facing many of the same challenges that vex Medtech start-ups, including the need to obtain approval under new FDA guidelines and to secure reimbursement payments from insurers
Nov 17, 2017•39 min
Steve Goedeke says he was the kid who liked to take things apart. But he’s built a career putting things together including a promising neuromodulation start-up called Cardionomic. In this episode, Goedeke shares the thoughts – and concerns – that went into leaving a seemingly stable gig at Medtronic to lead the new company. He also reveals what ideas he’d consider pursuing before a serendipitous ski trip set him on his current path.
Nov 10, 2017•38 min
John Pavlidis, president and CEO of VytronUS, has built a strong resume leading and selling Medtech start-ups. Now the self-described engineering “nerd” is leading VytronUS, a start-up combining the powers of imaging, ablation, and robotics to create a powerful new tool that can elevate the precision of treating atrial fibrillation in the electrophysiology lab.
Nov 03, 2017•34 min
