Crux of Medtech

Crux of Medtech

5.0 (2)
Business
Updated Biweekly

Welcome to The Crux of Medtech, where we sit down with special guests from the medtech industry. We tell the stories of this incredible sector by looking inside businesses from across the trade. Our guests are leaders from companies at all levels, from pre-seed startups and scale-ups to global-scale players. We’re uncovering experiences from the whole medtech ecosystem.

23h ago

Reimbursement Is Neurotech's Biggest Risk with Juan-Pablo Mas

In this episode, your host, Liz Moyles, is joined by Juan-Pablo Mas, Managing Director at Action Potential VC to talk about investing at the frontier of neurotech and bioelectronic medicine, and why reimbursement, not technology, is so often the make-or-break risk. Juan-Pablo traces his path from electrical engineering and a formative stint in Medtronic's cardiovascular division, through Stanford Biodesign and his first venture roles at Morgenthaler and Lightstone, to a decade investing in the brain and nervous system at Action Potential and now the Synapse Fund. He explains what he looks for in founders, why "herd mentality" in venture is where the real opportunity hides, how AI and signal processing are reshaping neurotech, and where he sees the healthcare system heading as clinical resources become more abundant. Key Topics: Juan-Pablo's route from engineering and Medtronic to venture and the Synapse Fund Investing in neuromodulation, bioelectronic medicine and the wider neurotech market How AI, signal processing and machine learning are accelerating the field What separates fundable founders from the rest Why reimbursement is the single biggest risk in neurotech today Related Insights: The "thirsty learner" founder mindset saying "I don't know, but I'll find out" Why a unique, against-the-grain take is where returns are made Choosing investors and boards who actually understand the business technically The shift toward preventative health as an investable category Designing healthcare for abundance agentic tools, BCI and what comes next Core Challenges: Reimbursement and coverage decisions not the technology are often the hardest, riskiest part of bringing a neurotech to market. Agencies can default to denial, and a single coverage setback can hit a company exactly when its burn is highest. Founders need a credible reimbursement and commercialisation strategy from day one, and a board that genuinely understands the business otherwise they risk setting up failure at later rounds without realising it. 🎧 Tune in now to hear why the brain is medtech's last great frontier and what it really takes to fund and build there.
5d ago

The First Commercial Hire Makes or Breaks Your Startup with Brandon Allen

In this episode, your host, Jordan Burgin, is joined by Brandon Allen a cardiovascular commercial leader who is CCO at Atraverse Medical, the transseptal-access company acquired by Johnson & Johnson to talk about what it really takes to commercialise cardiovascular technology. Drawing on two decades across Guidant, Boston Scientific, Biosense Webster, Acutus and Atraverse, Brandon shares the lessons that don’t make the pitch deck: surviving a cash crisis with three months of runway left, choosing between VC and family-office capital, building electrophysiology teams from scratch, and why the first commercial hire can decide whether a startup makes it. Key Topics Brandon’s accidental path into medtech and cardiac EP from college golf to Pfizer to Guidant Surviving a cash crisis with three months of runway left VC capital vs. family-office capital for cardiovascular startups Building and developing commercial teams in electrophysiology What early adoption really takes in the EP lab, the “aha moment” When to make your first commercial hire and who it should be Related Insights Why family offices can beat VCs on founder control and connection Selling the patient story, not just the clinical data Why engineers need to be in the room during live cases How leaders learn more from bad leadership than good Core Challenges Founders confuse clinical validation with commercial adoption, underestimating how entrenched the big four (Biosense, Medtronic, Abbott, Boston) already are inside hospitals. Companies wait until approval to hire sales talent, forgetting it can take 90–180 days before a new rep delivers any revenue making the timing, and the first hire, mission-critical. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Brandon Allen turns differentiated cardiovascular technology into real commercial traction, from cash crises to clean exits.
Jul 10

Cleerly Is the Mammogram of the Heart with Jim Hartman

In this episode, your host, Jordan Burgin, is joined by Jim Hartman, Chief Commercial Officer at Cleerly, to talk about why heart disease is still caught too late and how AI-driven coronary CT analysis is moving diagnosis upstream, before the heart attack ever happens. Jim shares the personal story behind his switch from cardiac surgery to prevention, breaks down what Cleerly actually sees inside the arteries, and walks through the commercial playbook he used to take the company from pre-revenue to scale from reimbursement battles to hiring for skill, will, and fit. Key Topics Why heart disease is still diagnosed “on the back end” and the case for imaging the heart What a Cleerly coronary CT analysis sees that a calcium score misses Building a commercial engine from pre-revenue to scale Hiring for skill, will, and fit in a mission-driven startup Related Insights The shift from a “sick-based” system to value-based, subscription-style care Why financial ROI now outweighs clinical enthusiasm in hospital sales Using AI tools for market segmentation and smarter territory planning Core Challenges Physician inertia: even with cutting-edge technology and a deep body of clinical data, established physician habits change slowly. Adoption depends on proving clinical value, workflow efficiency, and ROI all at once and, in today’s ~1–2% hospital margins, the financial case can be the showstopper. Reimbursement and capacity: securing coverage took nearly five years, forcing an early pivot to the concierge market. Even now, with demand rising, a shortage of CT machines and radiology techs leaves some markets up to six weeks behind on coronary CT. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Jim Hartman is building the commercial engine behind a world without heart attacks. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Jul 8

Nobody Cares About Better, Cheaper, Faster with Jim Surek

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro podcast, Liz Moyles sits down with Jim Surek, a 33-year medtech veteran with seven M&A exits to his name, including Advanced Bionics' $3 billion acquisition by Boston Scientific. Jim shares the commercial playbook he's used to build and scale teams across spine, neuromodulation, and urology, from selling medical supplies out of a catalogue to leading the commercial strategy behind some of the biggest exits in the industry. He explains why "better, cheaper, faster" is a dead pitch, why he hires reps with zero medtech experience, and how founders should really think about selling to today's multi-headed customer. Key Topics: Why "better, cheaper, faster" fails as a value proposition in modern medtech Selling to the multi-headed customer: clinicians, purchasing, CFOs, and value analysis committees Hiring non-medtech sales reps and why conventional experience can be a liability Building program-based commercial strategies that go beyond the physician champion Navigating M&A as a CEO: what founders get wrong about acquisition interest Leading a distressed asset: Jim's playbook for turning Valencia Technologies around Related Insights: Why curiosity and courage matter more than a track record when hiring for startups The difference between solving pain points and creating unrealised gains for health systems How the value analysis committee process really works, and why the conventional track fails Lessons from US Surgical's training philosophy and how they still shape medtech sales culture Core Challenges: Medtech founders are still leading with product features instead of articulating real value across every stakeholder in a health system. The "multi-headed customer" demands clinical, economic, operational, and strategic value, not just a better device. Startups struggle to break into hospitals because they follow conventional sales processes. Jim argues that programme-based selling, where every stakeholder understands what they gain, is the only way to move fast and avoid getting stuck in 14-month VAC loops. 🎧 Tune in now to hear Jim Surek's unfiltered playbook on commercial strategy, hiring, M&A, and why the best medtech leaders make it about everyone but themselves. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Jun 26

The Doctor Who Put a Heart Attack Detector in Your Pocket with Dr. Dave Albert

In this episode, host Jordan Burgin sits down with Dr. Dave Albert, physician, serial inventor and founder of AliveCor, the man who put a clinical-grade ECG in your pocket. From a viral 2011 iPhone demo to a pocket-sized 12-lead ECG that can diagnose a heart attack anywhere, Dave shares four decades of skating to where the puck was going. Key Topics Dave’s path from clinical medicine to serial medtech entrepreneur The viral 2011 iPhone-ECG video that helped define “digital health” Building and exiting Corazonix, Data Critical and Lifetone Inside AliveCor’s Kardia 12L: a pocket-sized, AI-powered 12-lead ECG Where AI will reshape cardiovascular risk prediction Related Insights Why “digital health” will simply become “health” “Augmented intelligence”: using AI to find who’s really at risk The case for orthogonal innovation, looking where no one else is Distilling the wearable “data tsunami” into clinical signal Core Challenges Today’s risk tools, lipids, calcium scores, family history, still can’t reliably predict who will have a heart attack. Clinicians need AI to surface who is truly at risk, and when, so treatment can begin decades earlier. Wearables generate an overwhelming volume of data that floods the medical record. That data must be distilled into actionable clinical insight before digital health can genuinely become health. Tune in now to hear how Dr. Dave Albert spent 40 years putting life-saving cardiac diagnostics into the palm of your hand and where he thinks AI takes cardiology next. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Jun 23

Putting an Expert Respiratory Therapist in Every Home with Anat Shani

In this episode, host Henry Norton sits down with Anat Shani, CEO of Synchrony Medical, to talk about LibAirty™, the first FDA-cleared at-home airway clearance system and what it took to carry it from a COVID-era prototype to a US commercial launch. Key Topics The cystic fibrosis patient whose LibAirty device sustained her through a six-month, overseas transplant wait What airway clearance is, and why people with chronic lung disease need it every single day How LibAirty mimics a respiratory therapist using a guided-breathing vest synchronised with a coaching app Building inside the MEDX Xelerator venture studio and the Israeli Innovation Authority ecosystem Going from FDA 510(k) clearance to early US commercialisation Related Insights Why COVID accelerated the shift from hospital-based care into the home setting How tight feedback loops between engineers, clinicians and patients shaped the device Leading and reinventing yourself as a first-time founder through doubt and through conflict Why adherence, not just efficacy, is the real battleground in chronic respiratory care Core Challenges Chronic lung conditions like COPD, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis trap thick secretions in damaged airways, driving a vicious cycle of flare-ups, infections and decline. Daily airway clearance is the key to breaking that cycle, but there aren’t enough respiratory therapists to deliver it, and existing home methods are hard for patients to perform correctly on their own. LibAirty delivers therapist-level airway clearance at home by synchronising guided breathing with targeted chest compressions, clearing twice as much sputum as traditional vest-based therapy in clinical studies, while improving comfort and the long-term adherence patients need. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Synchrony Medical is turning expert-level respiratory therapy into a daily routine patients can do at home. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Jun 12

The Himalaya of Medtech: Building a Next-Gen Heart Pump From Scratch with Louis de Lillers

In this episode of the Crux of Cardio, your host Jordan Burgin sits down with Louis de Lillers, CEO of CorWave, the French company developing a next-generation LVAD powered by the wave membrane technology inspired by the motion of marine animals. Louis shares why current LVADs leave patients alive but without a pulse, and how CorWave's approach could restore physiological blood flow, reduce devastating adverse events, and even open the door to cardiac recovery. "He also gets candid about what it really takes to build a medtech company from five employees to first-in-human in an industry where billion-dollar leaders thrive, the fundraising journey that included the European Commission's first direct equity investment since 1957, and why the best advice he can give founders is: if you can avoid raising money, don't raise money. Key Topics: Why current LVAD patients live without a pulse and the clinical consequences CorWave's wave membrane technology and how it restores pulsatile flow The 13-year journey from R&D startup to first-in-human implantation Fundraising strategy: from Sofinnova Partners to the EIC Fund Building and retaining a world-class team in a startup environment Related Insights: The case for physiological flow over continuous flow in mechanical circulatory support Why clinical trial centres can double as early commercial launchpads The European medtech talent gap and why experienced operators are in short supply Core Challenges: Current continuous-flow LVADs disrupt the cardiovascular system, leading to stroke, gastrointestinal bleeding, aortic insufficiency, and severely limited patient quality of life. CorWave's wave membrane LVAD is designed to restore physiological pulsatility, modulate flow for patient activity, and potentially enable cardiac recovery, all while navigating a market with 10+ year barriers to entry and a single dominant player. Tune in now to hear how CorWave is challenging the status quo in mechanical circulatory support and what it takes to build a paradigm-shifting medtech company from the ground up. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Jun 9

Changing The Law To Fund Medtech with Thom Rasche

In this episode of The Crux of MedTech, Henry Norton sits down with Thom Rasche, Managing Partner and founding force behind Earlybird Health, the venture fund that literally changed German law to get public health insurers investing in early-stage medtech. Thom shares the unvarnished reality of European health VC: where the arbitrage lies, why the CE mark has lost its edge, and what separates the 5% of startups using AI meaningfully from the 95% just putting it in the business plan. From building a fund around patient outcomes to coaching founders through the painful moment their company outgrows them, this conversation is a masterclass in what it takes to back revolutionary healthcare technology in Europe and get it to the US market. Key Topics: The real cost advantage of developing medtech in Europe vs. the US Why the CE mark has fallen behind the FDA as a regulatory pathway How Earlybird got public health insurers into venture (and changed the law to do it) What separates a better mousetrap from a game-changing technology The three phases a startup CEO must navigate, and why most can’t cover all three Related Insights: Why outcomes-based pricing could reshape pharmaceutical reimbursement How AI is accelerating platform validation and clinical trial recruitment The role of collaboration over competition in European VC Core Challenges: European medtech startups face smaller funding rounds and a fragmented market, meaning the best companies must eventually flip to the US to access the world’s largest healthcare market and viable exit routes. Assessing founding teams remains the hardest part of due diligence. The biggest reason companies fail is not the technology, it’s that the people cannot execute through the shifting demands of growth, clinical validation, and commercialisation. Tune in now to hear how one of Europe’s most experienced health VCs backs revolutionary technology, navigates the transatlantic funding gap, and coaches founders through the moments that make or break their companies. The Crux of MedTech podcast is brought to you by Cruxx, a specialist surgical robotics recruitment agency. To learn more about Cruxx,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠click here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A big thank you to our sponsors on this season of the podcast; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ With a 35-year track record, TTP excels in turning innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Their team of 300+ experts deliver breakthrough solutions in areas ranging from endoluminal robotics and navigation systems to ultrasound imaging. Whether you're a startup or a multinational, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP plc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can accelerate your development with the latest technologies. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TTP.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

Welcome to The Crux of Medtech, where we sit down with special guests from the medtech industry. We tell the stories of this incredible sector by looking inside businesses from across the trade. Our guests are leaders from companies at all levels, from pre-seed startups and scale-ups to global-scale players. We’re uncovering experiences from the whole medtech ecosystem.

Creator

Crux of Medtech
Years Active

2023 - 2026
Episodes

84
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© Crux of Medtech
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Crux of Medtech

Technology

Technology

Updated Weekly
Business

Business

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