Alison Sundset (CEO, HoloCare)

Can you explain your job to a five-year-old? 

I am making a magic tool that helps doctors to see inside your body, to help doctors see the best way of fixing a broken part!

It is like taking special pictures of the inside of our bodies using special machines. These pictures help doctors see things that they can’t see from the outside. It’s a bit like using a magic camera that can see through our skin! 

Surgery is when doctors use special tools to fix problems inside our bodies. They make tiny cuts or use special instruments to fix things that might be broken or not working properly. It’s kind of like when a beloved teddy bear needs fixing, but our bodies are much more complex and delicate. So, I am making a tool that helps doctors’ jobs easier by helping them do the surgery better and making complex things a little simpler.

Doctors use these magic pictures that we are creating in my job to help them during surgery. The pictures can show them exactly where the problem is, so they know where to fix it. This helps the doctors do their best to make us feel better.

What excites you most about your job?

I am passionate about pushing the boundaries of what is possible. As HoloCare is my third medical device startup, I jump out of bed every morning knowing that I am involved in a small part of improving patient outcomes and revolutionizing healthcare.

 I have the potential to make a positive impact on people’s lives by providing tools and solutions that help diagnose, treat, or manage various medical conditions. I feel a sense of fulfillment and excitement knowing products that I am a part of developing can improve the health and well-being of countless individuals.

I am driven by building successful companies, expanding into new markets, and delivering strong financial results. I like being involved in developing innovative strategies, entering partnerships, or securing investments that drive the company’s success.

I also love working with a talented team of professionals who are passionate about their work. I’ve enjoyed fostering a collaborative and dynamic work environment, where individuals come together to tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful difference in the field of healthcare.

Identifying unmet needs in healthcare and developing solutions to address them is an exciting endeavor, too. I am driven by understanding the gaps in current medical practice and then working with clinical teams to create devices that can fill those gaps, ultimately improving patient care and outcomes.

Which trend will change the future of medicine? 

One trend that will significantly change the future of medicine and healthcare is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize diagnostics, drug discovery, personalized medicine, and patient care, leading to more accurate and efficient healthcare outcomes. AI is a huge part of delivering the HoloCare platform to surgeons working on complex surgeries, providing a service transforming how clinicians interact, see, and engage with medical images for pre-planning surgeries adopting holographic imaging.

Looking back, which trends have you missed or underestimated? 

Looking back, I have underestimated the rapid advancement of telemedicine and remote healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth, and it has become an essential tool for providing medical consultations and monitoring patients remotely. Its impact on healthcare delivery has been significant.

Which MedTech initiative or startup deserves more attention? 

One digital health initiative that deserves more attention is the use of wearable devices for continuous health monitoring. These devices, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, can track vital signs, activity levels, sleep patterns, and more. They have the potential to provide valuable insights into individuals' health and enable early detection of health issues. 

The growth in this arena is essential to address the pressure on community health care—more self-monitoring of diagnosed sickness to avoid hospitalization as issues are addressed earlier, before becoming acute and ending in costly care.  

Where would you put a million dollars? 

Telemedicine. Investing in telemedicine companies that provide virtual consultations, remote monitoring, or digital health solutions can be a smart move, considering the increasing demand for convenient and accessible healthcare services in all fields of medicine

What's the best advice you've ever received? 

The best advice I've ever received is to never stop learning. In a fast-paced industry like medtech, staying curious and continuously seeking knowledge allows you to adapt to new technologies and trends. It's important to embrace lifelong learning to stay at the forefront of innovation and make a positive impact.