We only take on 4 clients per month. Join our October cohort. 1 spot left.
Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from the tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Austin McChord, CEO of Casana, an in-home health monitoring platform that’s raised over $46 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Unconventional Transition: Austin’s journey from cybersecurity with Datto to the medtech space with Casana highlights a unique path of leveraging operational skills across distinct industries.
- Product Philosophy: Both Datto and Casana share a design philosophy where products work best when unnoticed by users, emphasizing seamless integration into daily life for reliability and efficacy.
- FDA Regulatory Journey: The exhaustive and detailed process of gaining FDA clearance for medical devices, including biocompatibility testing and the rigorous documentation required for every aspect of product development and testing.
- Healthcare Innovation through Humor: Casana’s marketing approach uniquely balances humor with serious science, using the novelty and inherent humor of a health monitoring toilet seat to engage audiences before delving into the product’s significant medical benefits.
- The Future of Home Health Monitoring: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated acceptance and demand for in-home health monitoring, opening the market for Casana’s innovative solutions and setting the stage for broader adoption and integration into healthcare practices.
- Fundraising in Medtech: Austin’s insights into the medtech fundraising landscape, highlighting the unique challenges and milestones compared to more conventional tech startups, with a focus on developing products that can save lives before generating revenue.
Actionable
Takeaways
Leverage Diverse Backgrounds for Innovation:
Austin's shift from cybersecurity to healthcare underlines the value of applying skills from one industry to solve problems in another. This approach encourages founders to think broadly about their experiences and how they can uniquely address challenges in their current ventures.
Build Products That Excel in the Background:
Drawing from Austin's experiences, founders should aim to create solutions that integrate seamlessly into users’ lives, delivering value without constant management or user intervention.
Navigate Regulatory Environments with Patience:
Dealing with regulatory bodies like the FDA requires a meticulous approach and understanding that the process may significantly extend product development timelines. This scenario highlights the importance of strategic planning and resilience for founders in regulated industries.
Use Humor Strategically in Marketing:
Casana’s marketing strategy – combining humor with scientific credibility – demonstrates an effective way to engage audiences while maintaining product integrity. This balance can help founders capture attention and build trust with their target markets.
Stay Agile to Global Events Influencing Market Dynamics:
The pandemic's impact on the home health monitoring market exemplifies how external events can reshape industries. Founders should remain flexible, ready to pivot or adapt strategies to leverage new opportunities created by unforeseen global shifts.
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Joseph Schneier
CEO of Trusty Care
Joseph Schneier, CEO of Trusty Care: $13+ Million Raised to Shape the Future of Medicare
Alfred Griffin
CEO and Co-Founder of CEO and Co-Founder
Alfred Griffin, CEO and Co-Founder of LightForce: $150 Million Raised to Power the Future of Orthodontics
Danny Freed
CEO & Founder of Blueprint
Danny Freed, CEO & Founder of Blueprint: $13.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Therapist Enablement
Khaled Boukadoum
Founder of Torch Dental
Khaled Boukadoum, Founder of Torch Dental: $49.5 Million Raised to Transform Dental Supply Management Through Digital Innovation
David Berry
CEO and Founder of Valo
David Berry, CEO and Founder of Valo: Over $500 Million Raised to Build the Future of Drug Discovery
Mark Lehmkuhle
CEO & Founder of Epitel
Mark Lehmkuhle, CEO & Founder of Epitel: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Brain Health Monitoring
Brad Kittredge
CEO & Co-Founder of Brightside
Brad Kittredge, CEO & Co-Founder of Brightside: $150 Million Raised to Build the Future of Mental Healthcare
Joe Gagnon
CEO of 1upHealth
Joe Gagnon, CEO at 1upHealth: Over $75 Million Raised to Build the Future of Healthcare Data
Kourosh Davarpanah
Co-Founder and CEO of Inato
Kourosh Davarpanah, Co-Founder and CEO of Inato: Over $35 Million Raised to Build the Future of Clinical Trials
James Bates
CEO and Founder of AdviNOW Medical
James Bates, CEO and Founder of AdviNOW Medical: $24 Million Raised to Build the Future of AI-Powered Healthcare
Joshua Miller
CEO and Co-Founder of Gradient Health
Joshua Miller, CEO & Co-Founder of Gradient Health: $5.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Medical Imaging
Hala Borno
Founder and CEO of Trial Library
Hala Borno, Founder and CEO of Trial Library: $5M Raised to Improve Patient Recruitment and Diversity in Oncology Clinical Trials
Vicky Demas
CEO of Identifeye Health
Vicky Demas, CEO of identifeye HEALTH: $90 Million Raised to Power the Future of Retinal Imaging
Dr. Nan-Wei Gong
CEO and Founder of FIGUR8
Dr. Nan-Wei Gong, CEO & Founder of FIGUR8: $40 Million Raised to Build the Future of Musculoskeletal Health and Injury Data Solutions
Dipanwita Das
CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero
Dipanwita Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero: Over $20 Million Raised to Power Medical Affairs Teams of the Future
Matt Renfro
Co-Founder & CEO of Lynx
Matt Renfro, CEO of Lynx: $17.5 Million raised to Bring Modern Fintech to Healthcare
Cesar Herrera
CEO and Co-Founder of Yuvo Health
Cesar Herrera, CEO and Co-Founder of Yuvo Health: $28 Million Raised to Revolutionize Healthcare Access
Matthew Stoudt
CEO and Founder of AppliedVR
Matthew Stoudt, CEO and Founder of AppliedVR: Over $70 Million Raised to Build the Future of Chronic Pain Relief
Henry O’Connell
CEO & Founder of Canary Speech
Henry O’Connell, CEO & Founder of Canary Speech: $26 Million Raised to Build the Future of Vocal Biomarker Technology
Ben Albert
CEO & Co-Founder of Upfront Healthcare
Ben Albert, CEO & Co-Founder of Upfront Healthcare: $30 Million Raised to Power the Future of Patient Engagement
David King Lassman
Founder of GigXR
David King Lassman, Founder of GigXR: $7 Million Raised to Bring Immersive Learning to Healthcare
Brock Leonti
CEO & Co-Founder of Prescribe FIT
Brock Leonti, CEO & Co-Founder of Prescribe FIT: $15 Million Raised to Build the Future of Orthopedic Care
Andreas Cleve
CEO and Co-Founder of Corti
Andreas Cleve, CEO and Co-Founder of Corti: $32 Million Raised to Power the Future of Patient Consultations
Aasim Saeed
CEO and Founder of Amenities Health
Aasim Saeed, CEO and Founder of Amenities Health: $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient Engagement
Dilpreet Sahota
CEO of Trek Health
Dilpreet Sahota, CEO of Trek Health: $3 Million Raised to Help Mental Health Providers Accept Insurance
Amar Kendale
President and Co-Founder of Homeward
Amar Kendale, President & Co-Founder of Homeward: $70 Million Raised to Transform Rural Healthcare Through Technology
Kevin Flyangolts
CEO and Founder of Aclid
Kevin Flyangolts, CEO & Founder of Aclid: $4 Million Raised to Build the Future of Biosecurity
Itzik Cohen
Co-Founder and CEO of PayZen
Itzik Cohen, Co-Founder and CEO of PayZen: $240 Million Raised to Build the Future of Affordable Health Care
Dimitrios Skaltsas
CEO & Co-Founder of Intelligencia AI
Dimitrios Skaltsas, CEO & Co-Founder of Intelligencia AI: $15.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Drug Development
Armon Sharei
CEO & Founder of Portal
Armon Sharei, CEO & Founder of Portal: $5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Cell Engineering
Amy Brown
CEO and Founder of Authenticx
Amy Brown, CEO and Founder of Authenticx: $28 Million Raised to Build the Future of Listening AI
Brett Kleger
CEO of Datacubed Health
Brett Kleger, CEO of Datacubed Health: $43 Million Raised to Revolutionize Clinical Trial Data Collection
Kyle Kiser
CEO of Arrive Health
Kyle Kiser, CEO of Arrive Health: Over $40 Million Raised to Improve the Value of Healthcare Through Informed Decision-Making
Michael Gorton
Founder of Teladoc
Teladoc Founder Michael Gorton on the Early Days of Pioneering the Telemedicine Category (And What’s He’s Up to Next)
Stacy Edgar
CEO and Co-Founder of Venteur
Stacy Edgar, CEO & Co-Founder of Venteur: $7.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Health Insurance
Richard Queen
CEO and Co-Founder of DignifiHealth
Richard Queen, CEO and Co-Founder of DignifiHealth: $7 Million Raised to Drive Better Patient Outcomes in Rural Healthcare and Beyond
Justin Dearborn
Founder & CEO of Praia Health
Justin Dearborn, Founder & CEO of Praia Health: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Consumer Experience in Healthcare
Senan Ebrahim
CEO & Founder of Delfina
Senan Ebrahim, CEO & Founder of Delfina: $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Intelligent Pregnancy Care
Derek Streat
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Dexcare
Derek Streat, CEO of Dexcare: $110 Million Raised to Help Health Systems to Find Time for the Best Care
Viral Patel
Founder and CEO of Radish Health
Viral Patel, CEO of Radish Health: $5 Million Raised to Connect Employees with a Better Healthcare Experience
Rafid Fadul
CEO and Co-Founder of Zivian Health
Rafid Fadul, CEO and Co-Founder of Zivian Health: $3 Million Raised to Power the Future of Compliant Healthcare Collaborations
Ty Allen
CEO of SocialClimb
Ty Allen, CEO of SocialClimb: $12 Million Raised to Power the Future of Healthcare Marketing
Dr Thomas Oakley
CEO of Feedback PLC
Dr Thomas Oakley, CEO of Feedback PLC: £20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient Data Sharing
Elad Ferber
CEO & Co-Founder of Synthpop
Elad Ferber, CEO & Co-Founder of Synthpop: $8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Healthcare Administration with AI
Rishi Nayyar
CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth
Rishi Nayyar, CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth: $22.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Medical Image Sharing
Trenor Williams
CEO and Co-Founder of Socially Determined
Trenor Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Socially Determined: $34 Million Raised to Build the Social Risk Intelligence Category
Daniel Lambert
CEO of PathologyWatch
Daniel Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch: Over $50 Million Raised to Build the Future of Digital Pathology
Samson Magid
Co-Founder and CEO of HealthSnap
Samson Magid, Co-Founder and CEO of HealthSnap: Over $12 Million Raised to Build the Future of Remote Patient Monitoring
Nick Soman
CEO & Founder of Decent
Nick Soman, CEO & Founder of Decent: $43 Million Raised to Build the Future of Direct Primary Care
Alex Zekoff
CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI
Alex Zekoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI: $21 Million Raised to Power the Future of Healthcare Automation
Kristen Valdes
CEO & Founder of B.well
Kristen Valdes, CEO & Founder of B.well: $100 Million Raised to Reimagine the Healthcare Experience
Daniel West
CEO of Prospection
Daniel West, CEO of Prospection: $36 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient-Centric Intelligence