Episodes

  • 7: Steve Pinto, Ctrl Robotics

    7: Steve Pinto, Ctrl Robotics
    Jun 19 2025
    Next episode of Venture Vitals is on!

    This time, we invited Steve Pinto, CEO of Ctrl Robotics, to share the company's evolution from hotel automation to a software platform enabling businesses to automate logistics processes with robots, and to discuss their expansion into healthcare-specific hardware solutions. What are the challenges of implementing service robots in hospitals, including elevator access issues and strategies for selling healthcare technology solutions across different regions, along with advice on effective sales approaches and business roadmap planning?

    And has Steve enjoyed being one of this year's Caelestini?

    What is Ctrl Robotics?
    Ctrl is robotic automation made simple.
    Ctrl allows businesses like hotels, hospitals and warehouses to automate manual labour with modern, autonomous service robots. These robots perform delivery, cleaning, and similar tasks to save the business time and money, whilst improving service.

    https://ctrlrobotics.com
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • 6: Max Klimeš and Tobiáš Vybíral, HTG Medical

    6: Max Klimeš and Tobiáš Vybíral, HTG Medical
    Feb 13 2025
    In this episode of Venture Vitals, we dive into the world of medtech innovation with Max Klimeš and Tobias Vybíral, the minds behind HTG Medical. Starting as a bold idea at a Prague hackathon, their startup has grown into a promising healthtech venture, developing Urogram—a smart, automated urine measurement device for Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

    Together with hosts Evgeny and Tomas, they discuss:
    ✅ The journey from hackathon to securing early seed financing
    ✅ How understanding healthcare professionals’ needs shaped their product
    ✅ The challenge of navigating investor relations in the medtech sector
    ✅ The future of digital health and how HTG Medical plans to scale

    HTG Medical is on a mission to modernize hospital workflows, reducing nurse workload and improving patient care. Their Urogram device seamlessly integrates into existing hospital systems, providing real-time urine output monitoring, a crucial metric for ICU patients.

    The episode also touches on the importance of authenticity in investor relations, lessons learned from piloting in hospitals, and the potential for HTG’s technology to expand beyond ICUs—even into space medicine.

    🎧 Tune in to hear an inspiring startup story and gain valuable insights into the healthtech industry.

    📍 Learn more about HTG Medical at htgmedical.com.

    #VentureVitals #HealthTech #MedTech #Startups #DigitalHealth #ICU #MedicalInnovation #HackathonSuccess
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • 5: Denis Kalyshkin, I2BF Global Ventures

    5: Denis Kalyshkin, I2BF Global Ventures
    Jan 6 2025
    Denis Kalyshkin is a Principal at I2BF Global Ventures, a New York-based early-stage venture capital firm specializing in transforming traditionally overlooked industries, vertical SaaS, and digital healthcare. Denis is also the co-founder of Ask VC, a media platform for startup founders, and Space Ambition, a comprehensive resource hub for SpaceTech entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders.

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denis-kalyshkin-b634592a
    Ask VC: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ask-vc-global
    Space Ambition: https://spaceambition.substack.com
    Pre-Seed to succeed investment program: https://p2s.vc

    Some useful links for founders

    Cold contacting VCs: https://blog.i2bf.com/cold-emails-vc
    Updates for investors: https://blog.i2bf.com/investor-updates
    Vertical AI future: https://blog.i2bf.com/vertical-ai-future
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • 4: Mike Zack, PGxAI

    4: Mike Zack, PGxAI
    Oct 25 2024
    In their fourth epizode, Venture Vitals’ Tomas Studenik and Evgeny Shvarov invited a precision medicine startup CEO, Mike, to be their guest and respondent for over 45 minutes of all-about-building-a-global-med-tech-unicorn. Mike Zack, MD, PhD, MPH, is the Co-Founder and CEO of PGxAI (https://pgx.ai), a key opinion leader (KOL) in pharmacogenomics with an H-index of 40 and >40K citations. Mike is a member of major pharmacogenomics consortiums, including CPIC and PGRN, and has published in top-tier journals such as Nature Pharmacogenomics Journal, The Lancet, and others. Mike is supported by his co-founder and investor Allan Gobbs, who has successfully exited nine companies, and Russ Altman, a Stanford professor, serial entrepreneur, and world-leading KOL in multi-omics.

    PGX.ai is a Caelestinus Health Tech Incubator alumnus.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • 3: Antxon Caballero, Heuristik

    3: Antxon Caballero, Heuristik
    Sep 9 2024
    In the latest episode of Venture Vitals, Tomas Studenik and Evgeny Shvarov sit down with Antxon Caballero, CEO of Heuristik, to explore the complex landscape of doing business with hospitals in Spain, EU as well as U.S. From navigating identity verification issues to managing high-damage claims, Antxon shares valuable insights on mitigating risks in health tech. They also dive deep into opportunities for innovation in healthcare IT systems and the importance of incubation and acceleration programs for startups. Tune in for expert advice on scaling in digital health, securing investor interest, and the steps to becoming the next unicorn in the industry.

    Antxon Caballero - CEO, Heuristik
    Antxon is a serial entrepreneur with a successful exit. Antxon has international experience in sales and team management, he founded Heuristik after his grandfather almost died because of an identification error.

    What is Heuristik?
    The WHO says that you have 10% chances of being wrong identified, in Europe over 500M patients suffer identification errors every year with a market cost of over €200B. Clearly the current patient identification solutions are not working and that's why we created Heuristik, Heuristik is a software solution to identify and manage patients combining fingerprints and artificial intelligence. Using Heuristik healthcare entities can identify patients during the whole patient journey using their fingerprint and obtain real time statistics to avoid bottlenecks. See www.heuristik.tech
    Show More Show Less
    56 mins
  • 2: Marco Benitez and Jonas Dücker, ROOK

    2: Marco Benitez and Jonas Dücker, ROOK
    Jul 2 2024
    In this exciting episode of Venture Vitals, Tomas and Evgeny sit down with Marco and Jonas, the CEO and COO of ROOK, to explore the intricacies of launching and growing a healthtech startup in the US. Tune in to hear:

    • Marco and Jonas share their personal journeys into health tech.
    • The inspiration behind starting ROOK and the innovative idea driving their startup.
    • Insights on team building and the importance of co-founders in a startup’s success.
    • The unique challenges of establishing a startup in the US as international founders.
    • Their strategies for overcoming current challenges and their vision to achieve unicorn status.
    • The EXIT plan and the roadmap ahead for ROOK.
    • Key challenges and essential collaborations in the digital health sector.
    • FDA regulations and their impact on ROOK’s solutions.

    Join us for an in-depth conversation about digital health ventures and the entrepreneurial journey of ROOK. Don’t miss it!

    Marco Benitez - CEO, ROOK
    Tae Kwon Do champion turned biomedical engineer turned CEO, Marco’s experiences and passion have given him a deep knowledge of the fitness, sports, and pharmaceutical industries. He values discipline, perseverance, and persistence, and strives to give to others what his fitness and coaches gave to him—an opportunity for a greater life.

    Jonas Dücker - COO, ROOK
    With an MBA as well as degrees in both international business and entrepreneurship, Jonas is fascinated by projects rooted in creating change. His years of experience in scaling fitness-tech startups and in social impact companies provide him with the organization, dedication, and out-of-the-box thinking that power innovation.

    What is ROOK?
    ROOK's API empowers companies with more meaningful health data. Easily process and embed data from hundreds of wearables with one single integration and gain access to deeper understanding and more actionable insights to drive innovation. More info via https://www.tryrook.io/
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins
  • 1: Allan Gobbs, ATEM Capital

    1: Allan Gobbs, ATEM Capital
    Jun 6 2024
    In this compelling episode of Venture Vitals, Tomas and Evgeny sit down with Allan Gobbs, Managing Partner at NY-based Life Sciences venture firm ATEM Capital, to uncover the secrets of health tech investment success. Join us as Allan shares his extraordinary journey from managing a $760M partnership to celebrating multiple NASDAQ listings and high-profile exits.

    • Allan’s path to becoming a venture capital virtuoso in digital health.
    • Essential advice for aspiring venture capitalists aiming to break into the industry.
    • Key components of a successful startup pitch to secure investment from ATEM Capital.
    • Insights into Allan’s preferred investment stages and strategies for startups.
    • Distinctions between investing in digital health versus other tech sectors.
    • Allan’s most triumphant investment stories and the journeys to successful exits.
    • Predictions on the next big revolution in digital health.
    • Crucial advice for health tech founders and investors.

    Allan Gobbs
    Allan Gobbs is a Managing Partner at NY-based Life Sciences venture firm ATEM Capital. Prior to ATEM he managed a $760M partnership with Domain Associates. Over the last few years Allan had 5 of his portfolio companies listed on NASDAQ, notably Atea Pharmaceuticals, which yielded a 30x return at IPO, Marinus and Syndax. Four of his portfolio companies have been sold, including Tobira Therapeutics, which was acquired by Allergan at a record 19x premium. Before ATEM Capital, Gobbs was a VP at Barclays Capital and Dresdner Kleinwort, where he advised on M&A and capital market transactions exceeding $20B. Allan is a member of the Forbes Business Council, the Private Directors Association, and the Review Committee of the National Cancer Institute at NIH. More info via https://atemcap.com/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 7 mins