#419 Mark Kendall from WearOptimo: How Micro-Needles Are Quietly Replacing Blood Draws

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Professor Mark Kendall, biomedical engineer, inventor, scientist, entrepreneur and business-builder with more than 25 years of experience. Mark is now CEO and Founder of WearOptimo. With a vision to shift the focus of healthcare to early identification and intervention, WearOptimo’s sensors track real-time data from the body’s biomarkers to detect conditions ranging from dehydration to heart attacks.Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-af-kendall/Learn more: https://wearoptimo.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this episode, James is joined by Dr. Sonia Szamocki - former A&E doctor, BCG consultant, and now founder & CEO of 32Co - to explore how healthcare can finally unlock the full potential of its clinical workforce. Sonia shares her journey from frontline medicine to building a platform that helps generalists deliver specialist-level care, starting with dentistry and now expanding into sleep medicine.Together, they dig into:Why modern treatments fail without the right flow of informationHow 32Co builds trust between generalists and specialistsThe hidden emotional and structural barriers to clinician adoptionWhy AI isn’t the whole answer - and where the human connection still mattersChapters00:00 Sonia's Journey: From Medicine to Entrepreneurship02:59 The Role of Technology in Healthcare05:56 Building a MedTech Solution for Patient Care08:56 Challenges in Healthcare Adoption12:03 Creating Access to Specialist Care14:56 The Importance of Human Connection in Healthcare18:08 Expanding into Sleep Health20:50 The Complexity of Healthcare Structures23:58 Trust and Information Flow in Healthcare32:47 Building Trust in Healthcare35:51 Innovations in Sleep Apnea Treatment41:10 Bridging Gaps in Healthcare46:01 The Role of AI in Healthcare01:00:40 Entrepreneurship Journey and Insights

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Tomasz George, co-founder and CEO of Freyr Health. Freyr Health believe everyone should own, control, and benefit from their medical data. Their platform unlocks the value of fragmented health records, enabling individuals and organisations to securely manage, share, and monetise health data on their own terms. By bridging the gap between global health systems and personal data ownership, they are building a new health economy that rewards patients, accelerates research, and drives better outcomes for all.Connect with Tomasz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomaszgeorge/Learn more:https://www.freyrhealth.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Steve Roest, co-founder and CEO of PocDoc. PocDocis is on a mission to transform how we detect and prevent chronic diseases—bringing diagnostics out of the lab and into the hands of the public. By combining proprietary smartphone-based blood testing with their digital health platform, PocDoc enables anyone to screen for conditions like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease—all with just a fingerprick of blood.Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveroest/Learn more: https://pocdoc.co/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Dr. Sujitha Selvarajah, an NHS Obstetrics and Gynaecology doctor and founder of Hesta Health. Hesta Health is on a mission to redefine women’s health, not just as a medical issue, but as a driver of wellbeing, economic opportunity, and lifelong growth. Combining clinical excellence, cutting-edge technology, and compassionate care, Hesta Health is setting a new standard for how women are supported through every stage of life.Connect with Sujitha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsujitha/Learn more: https://www.hestahealth.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Rachel Murphy, founder of The Grafter, a consultancy that helps entrepreneurs maximise the value of their businesses ahead of an exit. Rachel shares her extensive experience in building and successfully exiting healthcare companies, offering practical insights on what founders should focus on. Connect with Rachel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachthegrafter/Learn more: https://thegrafter.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Olivia Burns, Founder of Hypoplas, a company on a mission to redesign the hospital gown to be more sustainable, dignified, and cost-effective for patients. Her mission is to drive sustainable innovation in healthcare by improving both patient care and system integration. Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorodonovan/Contact Olivia: [email protected] more: https://www.hypoplas.com/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

In this week’s episode, James is joined by Dr. James O’Donovan, Head of Research at the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC). CHIC is a global movement working to ensure community health workers are recognised as essential, salaried professionals. Their mission is to transform healthcare systems by scaling high-impact, community-led models and driving policy change through evidence, advocacy, and grassroots leadership.Connect with James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorodonovan/Learn more: https://joinchic.org/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com

This week, James is joined by Aashima Gupta, global director of healthcare strategy and solutions at Google Cloud. With 26 years of experience growing, differentiating, and improving businesses through technology transformation, Aashima is passionate about collaborating with and empowering companies to elevate the strategic value delivered to their ecosystem - ranging from new models for care, revenue generation, and improved patient experiences. Aashima also leads the GenAI strategy for Healthcare industry at Google Cloud by navigating the dynamic intersection of industry needs and new technologies to make healthcare more accessible. Connect with Aashima: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aashimagupta/Apply to be a guest: https://www.thehealthtechpodcast.com/Subscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: https://www.healthtechpigeon.com/Get in touch with James: https://www.jamessomauroo.com/

In the first episode of this two-part series, James is joined by Dr. Ross Harper, CEO and co-founder of Limbic. Limbic is developing clinical-grade AI tools for mental health care, designed to be deployed in clinical settings. Their goal is to enhance the capacity of trained professionals and help meet the overwhelming demand for mental health services.Connect with Ross: https://www.linkedin.com/in/refharper/Learn more: https://www.limbic.ai/Apply to be a guest: www.thehealthtechpodcast.comSubscribe to Healthtech Pigeon 🐦: www.healthtechpigeon.comGet in touch with James: www.jamessomauroo.com