aiEndoscopic’s Post

As promised, my opening remarks for Women's Health Innovation Summit in Basel this week, part 2 of 3: The area that we are able to see and talk about collectively is getting bigger and bigger. Our playing field as innovators is expanding. It also means that we become more aware of how much unmet need there is, of how much was left unseen in the shadows, and therefore, a lot of pain is emerging. We get enraged. For good reasons! We here, are all working in this newly discovered area, and it's intriguing and alluring but it is also sometimes quite lonely and scary and frustrating. It's hard to be a pioneer where others maybe don’t quite yet see what you see. There's not as much infrastructure, not as many resources as we wish there would be. Raising money, being taken seriously, being heard even, is hard. Unfairly hard. I think you have all felt this, probably both on a healthcare journey and as an initiator or entrepreneur. That's why we need community. We need the tribe behind us, and we need to trust that the things we find in this new area are true, even if somebody doubts it. But, it is also because so few have looked here that we find big treasures. I am convinced that we can find both great financial potential as well as great human value. I know that right now, we are building roads and villages all around this new territory. And it is important that we do so because the world is being rebuilt right now in data. We are literally rebuilding everything in our digital revolution. And men are doing it because, for many complex and non-given reasons, men are the ones shaping our technology, again. In Femtech however, women are building technology so that the world can fit us better. We have gotten tired of waiting.  We are building the healthcare that we need and we are shaping culture to include our experiences. This is one of the few areas in tech where women really are shaping our new world. In 2016, I coined the term Femtech to bring more awareness to the startups building technology that addressed women’s health needs, from this fringe of cultural awareness. People misunderstood it to be niche, it couldn’t be further from niche: addressing needs that are common for half of the world’s population it not niche. You here all know this today, but back then it wasn’t obvious yet. I wanted all the little parts to be seen as a whole and to help us find each other. I wanted all these early-stage startups to be understood as one big powerful movement in culture, not least by ourselves. (continues) #WHISEU #femtech

As promised, my opening remarks for Women's Health Innovation Summit in Basel this week, part 1 of 3: It is so moving being asked to talk here, not so much for me to be on this stage, but that this stage even exists. I had the idea for Clue in 2009, the startup that I co-founded. I wanted a kind of family planning method that didn’t suck. I was angry when I realised that hardly anyone had been caring about this part of life for 50 years since the Pill came out, while we had been busy putting people on the Moon, inventing the internet, and a million other really wild innovations. And a woman still didn’t know what days she could actually become pregnant? It felt absurd, and I decided I wanted to create what I needed, what I knew the world needed: A new type of birth control that was based on data and on knowing what was going on in the body with scientific precision. I simply wanted my phone to tell me, can I become pregnant today, yes or no? How hard could that be? Little did I know…! I was not a scientist. Not a doctor. Not a software engineer. I had no money and no contacts. And needless to say, there were no stages like this one. But you know what? Clue did get FDA clearance in 2021 as the world’s first 100% data-driven type of birth control. How was that possible? That’s a long story that I will tell some other time, (I’m writing it down in a book) but let me give you this spoiler: it had less to do with me and much more to do with what I want to talk about here: Cultural awareness, or lack of it. I liked being a CEO for Clue. I served in that role for about a decade. But it was also scary. Every day I had to do something for the first time, something that felt difficult and so important that it couldn’t fail; it just had to work. Do you know that feeling? Well, being a builder in Femtech IS doing something for the first time, that’s difficult. We’re all doing something we haven’t done before, not just as individuals, but as societies. Because women’s health is so often about experiences that exist outside of our cultural awareness; what it feels like to have a female body is… invisible. So much of what is intensely intimate and impacts our lives daily happens in what I think of as the big shadow area of culture. What is so fascinating about technology is that innovation tends to come in where something has just become visible in our mainstream culture, at the very edge of this shadow area. What we have just barely made room for in our culture is where new needs become visible. We start being able to articulate our experiences and then we want to have our needs met. Suddenly it’s obvious, for instance, that women suffering from endometriosis can’t wait seven years to get diagnosed. So we start building technology to address these needs. (continues) #WHISEU #femtech

As promised, my opening remarks for Women's Health Innovation Summit in Basel this week, part 3 of 3: Now, eight years later, we know that it was indeed the beginning of a new sector in technology. Last year, $20 billion was invested in Femtech, and the Femtech market is set to be worth $1 trillion in just a few years. Femtech is not only for women. All of society benefits when the needs of women’s health are taken seriously. And the world is catching up, and becoming aware that investing in women’s health is really smart, not just for the well-being of women, but for the well-being of societies and economies. I will go as far as to say it is urgently needed in order to get our planet back on a sustainable track. Major institutions such as the White House, NHS in the UK, the United Nations, and McKinsey have all announced significant initiatives within female health, signalling a growing recognition of its importance. Even in not so equality-forward societies as the United Arab Emirates and Japan their governments have increased focus on women’s health. And that is truly great, but remember that this only happens in the areas where things are visible in culture, and much is still left in the shadows. Women’s health still only receive 2% of venture capital. It is up to us to expand cultural awareness, by walking into that shadow area, bravely, and bring the men there too. I want to end by saying; Your biggest competitor is not another startup; it's a lack of cultural awareness. It’s the world not yet fully comprehending how important what you’re doing is. We are together in this; we are one unstoppable global movement, creating more space for our lived experiences, more health, more equality, and I believe: A sustainable future for our planet. Let’s have the conversations today, at this great event, to move things forward with urgency, together. I’d like to stay connected, you can find me on LinkedIn. I’d love to learn from all of you. Thank you so very much for listening! #WHISEU #femtech

Innovation Needs an Ecosystem Incredible first day at the 11TEN Innovation Partners Innovation Summit. Deep learnings around patient engagement from Ryan Haumschild PharmD, MS, MBA, CPEL and the panel. My main takeaway is the importance of the ecosystem: the founders, the client organizations, the customers / patients, the capital, universities, and even the physical space. The barriers to innovation are legion. But the right ecosystem can reduce the friction points to a level that innovation thrives. Looking forward to day two. #realizinginnovation

🚀 It's all about innovation! At least it is on October 23, when the doors open for 'Innovationsdagen' at FÆNGSLET in Horsens. This day, employees, clinicians, and leaders from Region Midtjylland - and other innovation enthusiasts from the ecosystem - can indulge in a wide buffet of topics, from idea workshops, language models, transformation, and AI to the power of networking and the importance of trust-based collaboration. 🤝 The last theme, collaboration, will take the stage when HIA partners Allan Juhl, CEO in Emento, Karen Skjerbæk Jørgensen, CCO in Trifork Digital Health, and Thomas Balle Kristensen, CEO at Aarhus Universitetshospital, come together for a dialogue on what happens when hospital logic meets business logic. "True health innovation only happens when we dare to break away from the traditional customer-supplier relationship and instead build mutual trust between healthcare professionals, public, and private stakeholders, where we act as one united team. To achieve that, we need to communicate. So, I look forward to the dialogue at Innovationsdagen – because it's only through this approach that we can reach a shared understanding of what we want to solve and, in turn, make innovation a part of everyday life – so it doesn’t just remain a good idea.", says Karen Skjerbæk Jørgensen. Together with moderator Diana Riknagel, they will share their curiosity and thoughts on how we can only achieve the necessary progress in the transformation of the health sector if we dare to engage in new, trustful collaborations. With a focus on opportunities and the importance of mutual trust, they will also discuss the challenges that can arise in such cross-sectoral partnerships.   Although the tickets for Innovationsdagen are sold out, the opportunities to expand your horizons are not! Stay tuned for insights from the debate. The photo is from FÆNGSLET at Innovationsdagen 2022 where the theme was 'system innovation'.

What is next on the horizon for Avania? Participating in Europe's most intimate #medtech partnering and investment conference this week in Dublin. The MedTech Strategist Innovation Summit Dublin will bring together 500+ industry experts, innovators and thought leaders to discuss critical challenges and opportunities in the MedTech community - we would love to see you there. Book a meeting with Ersan Lujinovic to explore how Avania will accelerate your product development journey to success. #InnovationDublin24 #medtechinnovation #digitaltech #medicaldevices #medtech #productdevelopment

Take a listen to Apurv Gupta, MD, MPH as he explains why most "innovation" isn't really innovation and how love may be at the center of real innovation. 💙 💙 #ALovingOrganization #LovingWorkflows #3DHealthcare #LovingLeaders

Key takeaways from the Pd-m hosted Med-Tech Innovation Expo panel session on "Levering sustainability advantages" ! Some new and emerging insights uncovered from MedTech industry leaders that you do not want to miss! Panelists showcased how #MedTech is progressing rapidly on sustainability. While challenges remain, they proved this journey presents major opportunities. Addie MacGregor from ABHI emphasized the need to engage with global organizations and align policies across borders, as the industry operates globally with differing requirements. Clare Brooke PhD from Boston Scientific noted that while sustainability in Europe has seen a significant shift, it is still not a priority in some developing regions like the Middle East. New policies and criteria focused on sustainability are emerging, though striking a balance with treatment and care pathways remains challenging. Richard Cohen from Pennine Healthcare expressed optimism, outlining plans to bolster the resilience, reliability, and sustainability of UK manufacturing and supply chains. Bringing this closer to the UK will help eliminate waste and ensure security. Whereas, Tom Dawson from Revolution-ZERO underscored the importance of collaboration with local communities. Decreasing waste through local initiatives like manufacturing repurposing, recycling, and UK-based operations is crucial. All while, Rich Shaw from Pd-m highlighted the need for MedTech industry to embrace sustainable design principles that align with current manufacturing realities for a more efficient sustainable approach. Huge thanks to everyone who joined - you're well on your way to leveraging sustainable advantages! Pd-m are energized to keep supporting MedTech innovators pulling the right levers. What sustainable practices will your company prioritize next? #medtechexpo #healthtech #nhs #panel #sustainability #netzero #leveringchange #circularity #innovation #design Medilink Midlands Medilink North of England Bionow NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) NIHR for Industry Caroline Jackson Helen Hickey Oliver Johnson

Its LIVE! HITLAB's Spring 2024 Breakthrough Alliance Innovator's Challenge is now open for applications. Similar to past BTA Challenges, the Alliance is looking for the world’s most innovative developing and early commercial digital health technologies that solve significant gaps in healthcare. The challenge is open to all new and innovative solutions across the healthcare spectrum. Innovator applications will be accepted through April 12th. Submissions will be screened and evaluated by a panel of judges using several criteria, including:  * Innovation   * Scalability  * Sustainability  * Impact    The finalists will be contacted on April 24th. They will present their solutions live during New York City Health Innovation Week (NYCHIW) in May.  Up to three winners will be chosen and announced by a panel of judges during New York Health Innovation Week in May.    The winning innovations will subsequently be evaluated in rapid-cycle studies with end-users providing key verification data and actionable insights regarding design, feasibility, and market potential. There is no cost to apply, no cost to participate, and no equity requested by HITLAB.    Applications can be found here: https://lnkd.in/ea5a4gmV

Today I join the Copenhagen Health Tech Summit and I have an impactful day of inspiring talks ahead of me I look forward to the following talks and to insightful discussions and networking opportunities Workshop with Ingeborg Knol from BSI: How to best interact with a Notified body for a succesful MDR application ? 🔶Health Tech Horizons: Navigating investmemt trends and the european outlook 🔶Bridging the Gap: Empowering health equity through Technology 🔶Advancing women’s heqlth through strategic investments 🔶Incetivizing the adoption og health Tech innovations in healthcare 🔶Green Health: How Technology is part of the way for sustaniable hospitals 🔶The Journey from ideation to successful implementation   Arranged and hosted by Health Tech Hub Copenhagen and The Trade Council Key2Compliance