This is Cruxx

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Nov 2026

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This is Cruxx is a podcast network for founders, CEOs, investors, and operators building the next generation of MedTech. On this channel: Crux of MedTech (long-form interviews across the medical device landscape) Crux of Cardio (cardiovascular innovation) Crux of Neuro (neurotechnology and neuro devices) YouTube Shorts with punchy insights on MedTech, fundraising, commercialisation, and leadership We cover topics like surgical robotics, neurotechnology, cardiovascular devices, AI in healthcare, regulatory strategy, reimbursement, go-to-market, clinical adoption, and venture capital.

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November 12, 202649 min

Don’t Try US Commercialisation Alone With Shai Policker

In this episode of The Crux of Medtech, host Henry Norton speaks with Shai Policker, Managing Partner at Edge Medical Ventures. Edge is a hybrid of venture fund and operating team that takes Israeli medical technologies to the US market. Shai trained as an electrical engineer at the Technion and has spent more than 25 years in medtech. He started in a cardiology startup, then spent ten years in the US building medtech companies and completed a business degree at Columbia. Seeing how often brilliant Israeli technologies failed to land in the US market led him back to Israel in 2017, first to the MEDX Xelerator and then to Edge. Shai discusses why the standard venture model struggles in medtech, why operational support matters as much as capital, and how matching strong engineering talent to real clinical need can turn a dead-end technology into a fundable company. Key Topics Shai’s journey from engineer and operator to investor, and why he has kept a hands-on, operator-led approach. Why Edge puts experienced team members into portfolio companies to cover clinical, regulatory and commercial gaps before founders hire full teams. How the MEDX Xelerator returned capital to investors after its first company, a robotic micro-catheter, was acquired by a structural heart strategic around two and a half years after it was founded. The story of a team that was turned away after a ten-minute pitch, then came back and became UroLogic Health, which is developing non-invasive urodynamic testing. Why Edge targets a success rate of more than 50% across its portfolio, rather than relying on one or two outsized exits. How US exits of a few hundred million dollars, combined with single-digit-million entry valuations, can still deliver strong fund returns. Why strategic acquisition remains the main exit route while public markets stay largely closed to medical devices. Building a new category with Exero Medical, which uses electrodes in a standard surgical drain to detect anastomotic leaks after colorectal surgery. The New Jersey-Israel corridor and Edge’s partnership with New Jersey’s evergreen investment programme. Core Challenges Israel produces exceptional medtech engineering talent, but the step from promising technology to a reimbursed, commercially successful product in the US is where many companies fail. Each move from preclinical to clinical, and from clinical to commercial, needs different skills, and many first-time CEOs have not been through it before. Shai argues that the US healthcare system is so different from Israel’s socialised model that founders should not try to work it out alone. Hands-on experience, the right US leadership hires and a clear view of payer economics often decide whether a technology reaches patients. The conversation also looks at what makes a CEO able to take a company from early idea to commercial scale. Shai’s answer is resilience under pressure and the curiosity to keep improving, even when things are going well. Tune in now to hear Shai Policker on Edge Medical Ventures’ hybrid model, the companies he is most excited about and why the next wave of medtech success depends on pairing great technology with the operational experience to commercialise it.

November 10, 20261 hr 1 min

Why Neurotech Trials Are Heading to Australia, with Adam Caplan

In this episode of The Crux of Neuro, host Liz speaks with Adam Caplan, founder of Jump Space Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm investing exclusively in neurotechnology. After 11 years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and a career as a tech founder, Adam turned towards purpose-driven investing. A series of neurological conditions affecting people close to him — including Parkinson’s, stroke and ALS — made that mission deeply personal.Adam discusses why neurotechnology is becoming increasingly investable, why promising opportunities are being overlooked, and how investors can help take science from research to real-world patient impact.Key Topics- Adam’s journey from investment banking and technology entrepreneurship to founding Jump Space Ventures.- How personal experiences with Parkinson’s, stroke and ALS shaped his commitment to neurotechnology.- Why Jump Space focuses on early-stage investment, often providing the first institutional capital to emerging companies.- How advances in AI, materials science and our ability to read and stimulate the brain are changing the investment landscape.- Why early-stage neurotechnology companies may be undervalued compared with established players.- The opportunity for Australian neurotechnology companies to access commercial investment.- Why Australia can be an attractive location for first-in-human clinical trials, potentially 50% cheaper and twice as fast.- The potential of neuro-AI and more sophisticated brain sensors.- Why founders must plan for clinical evidence, reimbursement and adoption alongside technological development.Related Insights- The brain as the next frontier: Neurotechnology could extend beyond neurological disease to broader human flourishing.- Backing science early: Jump Space looks for strong research, capable teams and promising science before products are fully developed.- The importance of data quality: More sophisticated neuro-AI will depend on better ways to capture brain activity.- Australia’s untapped potential: Strong research, hospitals and clinical trial infrastructure create opportunities, but commercialisation and access to capital remain challenges.- The commercialisation challenge: Evidence, reimbursement and integration into clinical workflows can determine whether technology reaches patients.- Choosing the least invasive route: Adam favours approaches that achieve therapeutic outcomes with minimal intervention, while recognising some conditions may require more invasive technologies.- Ethics alongside innovation: As neurotechnology advances, founders and investors must consider safety, trust and the long-term implications for humanity.Core ChallengesNeurotechnology is attracting growing attention and investment, but the journey from promising science to clinical impact remains complicated. Regulatory approval, reimbursement, clinical evidence and commercial adoption can all create significant barriers for early-stage companies.Adam argues that the biggest risk is not necessarily whether a device works technically, but whether a company can demonstrate measurable outcomes, secure reimbursement and fit into the healthcare system. Founders need to fall in love with the problem they are solving, rather than simply the product they have created.The conversation also explores how we can ensure increasingly powerful technologies for recording, interpreting and influencing brain activity are developed responsibly. Could neurotechnology help us communicate with AI, improve health and address conditions not traditionally considered neurological? And how do we ensure this progress leads to greater human flourishing?Tune in now to hear Adam Caplan share his investment philosophy, the opportunities he sees across neurotechnology, and why the future of the field depends not just on scientific breakthroughs, but on the people and systems that bring them to patients.

November 5, 202651 min

Why Are We Rotating 100 Tonnes Around a 100kg Patient? With Stephen Towe, CEO of Leo Cancer Care

What if the future of cancer treatment meant moving the patient into position, rather than rotating an enormous machine around them? In this episode, we speak with Stephen Towe, CEO of Leo Cancer Care, about rethinking the way radiation therapy is delivered. Leo Cancer Care is developing upright radiation and proton therapy systems designed to change the traditional treatment-room setup, with potential benefits for patients, clinical teams and hospitals. Stephen shares the story behind a major milestone: the first patient ever treated sitting upright in a proton beam. For him, the moment was especially personal. The patient was a seven-year-old boy named Steven, the same age and name as Stephen’s own son. He also explains the journey to working with Stanford, the clinical validation behind the technology, and Leo’s vision for bringing imaging, treatment planning and radiation delivery together. Key Topics Why conventional radiation therapy has traditionally rotated large machines around patients, and the case for turning that model around. The first patient treated upright in a proton beam, and the personal significance of that milestone. Why proton therapy is particularly important for children, helping deliver radiation to a tumour while reducing exposure to healthy tissue. How Leo Cancer Care’s upright treatment approach is designed to offer physiological and clinical benefits. The partnership with Stanford, including the rigorous testing and validation of the technology. The role of patient experience, including Stanford’s Avatar product, which allows children to watch videos during treatment. Leo’s growing adoption, with 57 agreements around the world, and its work to reduce the cost, footprint and complexity of proton therapy. The partnership with GE Healthcare and the ambition to integrate imaging, planning and treatment in one room. Related Insights A different way to deliver proton therapy: Upright positioning challenges the assumption that patients must lie down while large gantry systems rotate around them. Making advanced treatment more accessible: Leo has focused on reducing acquisition and implementation costs, as well as the physical footprint required for proton therapy. Clinical validation matters: The collaboration with Stanford involved extensive testing and measurement to establish confidence in the new treatment approach. The patient experience is part of the technology: The integration of video experiences for children reflects the importance of making treatment more comfortable. A more connected treatment pathway: Working with GE Healthcare, Leo is exploring how imaging, planning and treatment could be brought together, potentially reducing the time and complexity involved in conventional workflows. Core Challenges Radiation therapy has evolved significantly, but the physical architecture of treatment has remained familiar: patients lie on a table while large machines rotate around them. Stephen challenges whether this is still the best way to approach treatment. The opportunity is not simply to change the patient's position. It is to rethink the entire treatment pathway. Today, imaging, planning and treatment can involve separate rooms, processes and waiting periods. Stephen discusses a future in which these steps could be brought together, potentially making treatment more efficient and reducing delays. He points to the NHS experience, where the typical time to first beam was discussed as around 67 days. But realising that vision brings important questions: How can a new treatment approach earn clinical confidence? How can advanced proton therapy become more accessible to hospitals and patients? And what could happen when imaging, planning and delivery are designed as one integrated process? Tune in now to hear Stephen Towne explain why Leo Cancer Care is challenging the traditional design of radiation therapy, and why it might be time to stop rotating 100 tonnes around a 100kg patient.

November 3, 20261 hr 21 min

Why Are We Giving Every Brain the Same TMS Treatment?

In this episode of Crux of Neuro, Liz is joined by Fred Walke, Founder and CEO of Wave Neuro, to explore why transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has traditionally relied on standardised treatment protocols, and whether a more personalised approach could transform the future of mental healthcare. From becoming a CEO at just 29 and helping transform the dental industry to building a company focused on precision neuromodulation, Fred shares the unconventional journey that brought him into neuroscience. What began as scepticism towards a complex technology became a deeply personal mission after witnessing his daughter's struggles with mental health and the changes he observed following an individualised course of treatment. The conversation examines how Wave Neuro uses electroencephalography (EEG) data to inform personalised TMS protocols, why Fred believes objective brain measurements should play a greater role in mental healthcare, and what it will take to make non-invasive treatment more accessible to patients worldwide. Key Topics Why conventional TMS protocols have often used standard stimulation frequencies, and what could change when treatment is tailored to an individual's brain activity How Wave Neuro combines EEG measurements, computational analysis and TMS to develop personalised neuromodulation protocols Fred's personal experience with his daughter's mental health struggles and why it fundamentally changed his perspective on the technology The differences between symptom-based mental health assessments and the potential use of objective biomarkers to inform treatment decisions How Wave Neuro approached its FDA clearance for a system used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Why Fred believes precision, rather than simply increasing stimulation intensity, could be an important direction for TMS innovation Related Insights How Fred went from an unexpected leadership opportunity in the dental industry to building and scaling businesses by questioning established practices Why understanding patients' actual needs, rather than accepting traditional treatment models, has shaped his approach to healthcare innovation The role of individual brainwave frequencies and EEG-derived data in Wave Neuro's approach to treatment planning How shorter treatment programmes and lower costs could help address some of the practical barriers to accessing TMS Why Fred sees opportunities for neuromodulation to complement medication and other therapies rather than necessarily replace them The importance of clinical evidence, regulatory clearance and reimbursement in bringing emerging neuroscience technologies into mainstream care How the Just One Wave Foundation aims to improve access to innovative mental healthcare for underserved populations Core Challenges TMS has been an established treatment option for certain mental health conditions for years, yet Fred questions why patients with different patterns of brain activity should receive largely standardised stimulation protocols. For Wave Neuro, the central challenge is moving towards a more individualised model of care. By using EEG data to inform treatment settings, the company aims to bring greater precision to neuromodulation while continuing to build the evidence needed to support its approach. However, personalisation alone does not solve the wider challenges facing mental healthcare. Patients still encounter barriers related to treatment costs, insurance coverage, geographic availability and the time required to complete a course of therapy. New approaches must also demonstrate safety and effectiveness through rigorous clinical evaluation. Fred also explores a broader question: why does healthcare so often wait until people are experiencing significant symptoms before intervening? His long-term vision is a future in which better measurement of brain function could help clinicians identify changes earlier and support people before their mental health deteriorates.

October 29, 202648 min

1 Million Patients, What Finally Changed for Withings?

In this episode of Crux of Cardio, Jordan Bergin is joined by Antoine from Withings to explore how the company evolved from a consumer wellness brand into a major player in connected medical technology, now helping to monitor more than one million patients worldwide. Having spent seven years building Withings’ B2B division, Antoine shares the challenges of bringing connected health technology into clinical care, why the healthcare system took years to catch up with what the hardware could already deliver, and what finally convinced insurers, healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies to take remote patient monitoring seriously. From GLP-1 programmes and chronic heart failure management to AI-powered cardiovascular risk detection, the conversation explores how Withings is moving beyond simply collecting health data towards helping patients build sustainable habits, supporting clinical decisions and improving long-term outcomes. Key Topics How Withings transitioned from connected consumer devices to medical-grade solutions used by more than one million patients Why trust, reimbursement and clinical workflows proved more challenging than developing the technology itself How Withings is supporting GLP-1 and obesity care programmes, including reported patient retention of 93% at six months Why combining connected devices, digital health services and medication could become a new standard of care for chronic conditions How remote monitoring is changing heart failure management by helping care teams identify patients who need attention Why real-world engagement and retention evidence finally changed how US payers viewed the value of connected health technology Related Insights What a hypertension analysis involving 1,873 patients revealed about monitoring frequency, engagement and blood pressure outcomes How body composition and impedance measurements could provide more meaningful insights than weight alone in heart failure monitoring Why Withings’ partnership with Novo Nordisk reflects a growing connection between pharmaceutical innovation and digital health How AI could personalise patient experiences, reduce unnecessary information for clinicians and support more targeted interventions The development of cardiovascular risk scores designed to identify potential hypertension and heart failure risks through connected scales Why the future value of medical hardware may lie less in the device itself and more in the data, algorithms and clinical pathways it enables Core Challenges For years, connected health technology promised to transform patient care, but adoption remained slower than innovation. Devices could already capture valuable information from patients at home, yet healthcare systems lacked the trust, reimbursement structures and workflows needed to make that information actionable. For Antoine, the turning point was evidence. Demonstrating sustained engagement, improved retention and meaningful real-world outcomes helped Withings move beyond being viewed as an additional cost towards becoming a potential source of value for healthcare providers and payers. However, major questions remain. How can companies prevent clinicians from becoming overwhelmed with data? How can cardiovascular risk detection lead to appropriate clinical action without generating unnecessary concern? And how can healthcare systems move from rewarding appointment volume towards supporting prevention and better long-term outcomes? As Withings continues to develop its cardiovascular technology, Antoine explains why the next phase of connected health will depend not only on more advanced sensors and AI, but also on stronger partnerships, sustainable business models and a clearer understanding of where technology delivers the greatest clinical value.

October 19, 202645 min

3,000 TAVRs and the Questions We Haven’t Answered With Dr Michael Reardon

In this episode of The Crux of Cardio, Jordan is joined by Dr. Michael Reardon, Professor and Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital, to explore the evolution of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), the lessons learned from more than 3,000 procedures, and the critical questions that remain unanswered in structural heart disease. With more than four decades of experience in cardiac surgery, Dr. Reardon shares how a once-radical idea has transformed the treatment of aortic stenosis, allowing many patients to return home the day after treatment. From the importance of patient selection and long-term valve durability to the future of transcatheter technology, he explains why the biggest decisions often happen long before a patient enters the cath lab. The conversation also explores the realities of designing and running pivotal clinical trials, the role of the multidisciplinary heart team, and how emerging technologies such as the Dura-AVR valve could reshape the future of aortic valve replacement. Key Topics How TAVR evolved from a controversial concept into one of the biggest advances in cardiac surgery What more than 3,000 TAVR procedures have taught Dr. Reardon about patient selection, procedural decision-making and achieving the best outcomes Why understanding the populations studied in pivotal trials is essential before applying their results to real-world patients The unanswered questions surrounding long-term valve durability and lifetime management How valve haemodynamics, effective orifice area (EOA) and laminar flow influence cardiac workload and patient outcomes What the Dura-AVR valve and the PARADIGM trial could reveal about the next generation of transcatheter aortic valves Related Insights Why collaboration between cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists remains critical to choosing the right treatment How TAVR has influenced surgical practice, patient referrals and the development of research-focused cardiac programmes Why younger, lower-risk patients raise important questions about valve durability and future reintervention The challenges smaller medical technology companies face when financing large-scale clinical trials How advances in mitral valve interventions could address patients who currently have few viable treatment options What complex cardiac procedures, including cardiac autotransplantation for rare tumours, reveal about innovation, surgical experience and giving patients more time Core Challenges The success of TAVR has transformed the treatment of aortic stenosis, but important questions remain. How long will these valves last? Which patients benefit most from transcatheter treatment versus surgery? And how can clinicians ensure that promising trial results translate into better outcomes for the wider patient population? For Dr. Reardon, the answers depend on more than technological innovation. Careful patient selection, robust clinical evidence, long-term follow-up and collaboration across the heart team are essential to making the right decisions. As the field moves towards younger and lower-risk patients, understanding lifetime management becomes increasingly important. Beyond aortic valve replacement, challenges such as mitral annular calcification and the treatment of complex structural heart disease highlight the need for continued innovation, better devices and new approaches to patients who have historically had limited options. Tune in now to hear Dr. Michael Reardon reflect on more than 3,000 TAVR procedures, the questions the field still needs to answer, and what the next decade of structural heart innovation could mean for patients, clinicians and the future of cardiac surgery.

October 7, 202652 min

How Cala Built The Most Personalised Wearable Neurostim Device For Essential Tremor

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro, Liz Moyles is joined by Deanna Harschberger, CEO of Cala Health, to explore how non-invasive neurostimulation is changing the way we think about treating essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. From her early career in chemical engineering and time working in deep brain stimulation to leading Cala Health, Deanna shares the journey behind Cala’s approach to treating hand tremor without surgery. She explains how the company’s watch-like device uses transcutaneous afferent pattern stimulation (TAPS) to measure each patient’s tremor and deliver personalised stimulation designed to disrupt pathological oscillations in the brain. The conversation also explores what it takes to move a new neurological therapy from an interesting scientific concept to a treatment that patients can actually use — from clinical evidence and physician adoption to FDA clearance, reimbursement and designing technology around real patient needs. Key Topics How Cala Health is using non-invasive neurostimulation to treat hand tremor What essential tremor is and how it differs from Parkinson’s disease How TAPS therapy measures an individual patient’s tremor and personalises stimulation Why patient-centred design matters when developing neurological technology What clinical trials and real-world evidence are revealing about Cala therapy The challenges patients face when medications become ineffective or cause intolerable side effects How non-invasive neurostimulation could provide an option between medication and more invasive treatments such as deep brain stimulation Related Insights Why essential tremor can have a profound impact on independence, confidence and quality of life How tremor can affect everyday activities such as eating, drinking, working, playing music and getting dressed Why clinical data is critical for physician adoption and reimbursement What Cala has learned from following patients over the longer term How objective data from stimulation sessions could support further personalisation of therapy What the launch of CALA kIQ Plus means for personalised stimulation and different therapy modes Core Challenges Developing a new neurological therapy requires more than promising technology. It requires clinical evidence, patient-centred design, physician confidence, regulatory progress and a pathway to reimbursement. For people living with essential tremor, the challenge is also deeply personal. As tremor progresses, patients can lose independence and begin avoiding everyday activities and social situations. Cala’s approach is focused on making neurostimulation easier to use, personalised to the individual and integrated into everyday life. Tune in now to hear how Deanna Harschberger and the Cala Health team are working to expand the role of non-invasive neurostimulation, what it takes to build clinical evidence for a new category of therapy, and why the future of neurological treatment may involve increasingly personalised approaches to brain stimulation.

September 29, 202642 min

Your Brain Has Been Tired for Hours, You Just Don't Know It Yet with Dr. Ramses Alcaide

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro, Liz Moyles is joined by Dr. Ramses Alcaide neuroscientist, inventor, and CEO of Neurable, to explore what happens when brain-computer interface technology leaves the lab and enters the headphones in your ears. From tracking cognitive fatigue in real time to detecting neurodegeneration before symptoms appear, Ramses sets out a vision of brain health that goes far beyond anything current wearables can offer and explains why 14 years of R&D was the only way to get there. Key Topics What brain-computer interfaces actually are and why the comparison to an Apple Watch matters How Neurable's EEG headphones track focus, cognitive fatigue, and brain age in real time The military, clinical, and consumer applications of scalable BCI technology Why Neurable licenses its technology rather than building its own headphone brand The concept of brain span and why it may be shorter than your lifespan Related Insights Why most people are 10 years into cognitive decline before they know it How Merck's venture arm is investing in brain data to transform pharmaceutical precision The neuroethics infrastructure being built to protect brain data before the market scales What a world with longitudinal brain data at scale means for AI development Core Challenges The brain is perceived as more sacred than any other data source education and demonstrated ethics will be essential to adoption. 14 years of R&D were required to get medical-grade EEG data out of a consumer headphone. Most companies cannot clear that bar. Fewer than 1% of consumers know that brain-sensing headphones exist. Distribution and awareness are the next frontier after product-market fit. Tune in now to hear why Dr. Ramses Alcaide believes your brain has been the most under-tracked organ in your body and what Neurable is doing to change that.

September 24, 20261 hr 1 min

Don't Use The D Word With Christian Howell

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro, Liz Moyles is joined by Christian Howell, CEO of Cognito Therapeutics, to explore what happens when neuroscience, light, sound, and clinical research come together to tackle one of the biggest challenges in brain health: Alzheimer’s disease. From MIT research on 40Hz gamma activity to a home-based therapy using light and sound, Christian explains the science behind Cognito’s approach and what it takes to translate breakthrough neuroscience into something patients can actually use. Key Topics How MIT research into 40Hz gamma activity led to a new approach to Alzheimer’s treatment How light and sound stimulation can induce and sustain 40Hz brain activity What researchers are learning about synapses, myelin, mitochondria, blood flow, and neuroinflammation What Cognito’s 673-person clinical study is designed to reveal How personalised, home-based brain stimulation could make neurological therapy more accessible Related Insights Why Alzheimer’s is a challenge affecting entire families and caregivers How EEG, proteomics, MRI, and cognitive testing can help measure the impact of a therapy Why partnerships with institutions such as Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Ochsner Health matter How the platform could eventually be explored across conditions including Parkinson’s, stroke, MS, and traumatic brain injury Core Challenges Turning breakthrough neuroscience into a real therapy requires more than promising science, it requires clinical evidence, regulatory progress, patient trust, and accessibility. Making innovative neurological technology available to the people who need it most remains a major challenge. Cognito’s approach is grounded in balancing scientific rigor with the responsibility to take patients’ hopes seriously. Tune in now to hear how Christian believes 40Hz sensory stimulation could change the future of brain health, and what it takes to move breakthrough neuroscience from the lab into people’s homes.

September 16, 202655 min

Your Brain Is the Softest Thing in Your Body, that's Why All Implants Are Wrong with Dr. Nicolas Vachicouras

In this episode of the Crux of Neuro, Liz Moyles sits down with Dr. Nicolas Vachicouras, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Neurosoft Bioelectronics, a Geneva and New York-based neurotechnology company spun out of EPFL, developing the world's softest, stretchable brain interfaces. Nicolas takes us through his journey from studying the bionic eye, to building brain interfaces for epilepsy, tetraplegics, and severe tinnitus and why the key to all of it starts with matching the mechanical properties of the brain itself. KEY TOPICS How soft, stretchable electrode materials unlock access to the brain's hidden 50% The minimally invasive deployment method that replaces large craniotomies Why Neurosoft chose epilepsy as its beachhead indication and what comes next Tinnitus as a neurological condition: 120 million severe cases, and no cure Building an objective biomarker for tinnitus and why pharma should be paying attention European vs. US investor mindset and why Nicolas is relocating to New York The Science Corporation partnership and the Max Hodak mentorship What it really means to de-risk a neurotechnology platform before going into humans RELATED INSIGHTS Why ECoG data collected in epilepsy patients can be used to decode motor intent for tetraplegic BCIs The regulatory and reimbursement divergence and why you have to design for both from day one Why US investors back vision and team, while European investors demand proof first How partnering with Science Corp accelerated Neurosoft's ASIC and wireless back-end without diluting their core IP The case for building your neurotechnology company in the US even if your tech and talent is European CORE CHALLENGES The brain and spinal cord are extraordinarily soft and constantly in motion yet for decades, we have interfaced with them using rigid, static devices. The resulting mechanical mismatch causes foreign body reaction, device degradation, and limits long-term viability. More than 50% of the brain's cortex sits hidden within its sulci (folds). Existing surface electrode arrays miss most of it and reaching those areas historically requires invasive large-scale craniotomies. Severe tinnitus affects 120 million people worldwide, has no cure, and is almost completely misunderstood by the investor community. Objective biomarkers do not yet exist making it hard to measure, treat, or run efficient clinical trials. Neurotech is capital-intensive and long-cycle. Specialist venture capital with genuine risk tolerance for decade-long timelines is plentiful in the US but rare in Europe, forcing companies to move or fail. 🎧 Tune in now to hear how Nicolas Vachicouras is rethinking the fundamental materials of brain surgery and why soft electrodes could be the unlock that takes BCIs from the lab to 120 million patients.