Welcome to Our Medtech Talk Podcast Channel
Too often we define the Medtech sector by the number of dollars raised, IPOs helped or companies sold. But the focus neglects the very foundation of the sector - the People. Join the Medtech Talk Podcast each week to hear from entrepreneurs, investors and executives who spend their days developing the tools that make sick people well and health care more efficient.
Before he began his Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering, Andy Doraiswamy bought a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia to explore and “find himself.” He was successful: discovering a love for mountain climbing’s physical and mental challenges and developing a practice of meditation that has proven helpful in both climbing and commerce. Since leaving academia, he’s been involved in startups at Advanced Vision Science, Oculeve, and now Koya Medical. Doraiswamy has a huge bias and love for eye care, he says, particularly intrigued by its complexity. He and host Geoff Pardo discuss how medical devices fare in academia, letting go of promising technology in an acquisition, and the shifts required when transitioning from COO to CEO.
Andy is focused on advancing health and human life. He brings innovative teams together to ideate and transform healthcare with a specific interest in improving treatment and lowering the health economic burden. He is the founder and CEO of Koya Medical, a team dedicated to transforming chronic lymphatic and venous disease. He also serves as Chairman and board director with an eye-care and urology health venture.
Previously, he led Oculeve, a first-in-class health venture funded by NEA, Kleiner Perkins, and Versant to treat ocular disorders with a revolutionary neuromodulation platform. The company was acquired by Allergan Plc. Prior to this, Andy invented sight-restoring intraocular implants that have given sight to more than 6 million humans across the globe. This technology was acquired by Santen Pharmaceuticals and licensed to Bausch & Lomb (marketed as envista IOL).
Andy received his Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the School of Medicine at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, M.S. in materials science and engineering from University of Arizona, and bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from University of Madras. He has numerous patents and publications in healthcare innovation.
Additionally, Andy is a mountaineer and is on a quest to climb the tallest mountains in the world, though this has temporarily taken a backseat to focus on healthcare. He is actively learning to master the mridangam and enjoys restoring and riding vintage motorcycles.
