MedTech Malta 2025

Silvio Schembri is a Maltese politician and academic serving as Minister for the Economy, Enterprise, and Strategic Projects. Previously, he was Minister for the Economy and Industry and Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy, and Innovation. Hon. Schembri holds a master’s degree in Economy and a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Malta. He has worked in a private bank and as a Supervisor Economist at the Central Bank of Malta. He also chaired the Responsible Gaming Foundation Malta, and played key roles in developing Malta’s AI Strategy and the Covid-19 economic regeneration plan.

Giovanni Lauricella has a Bachelor’s in Finance and a Master’s in Regulatory Affairs in Medical Devices. He has travelled to 40+ countries and has assisted 500+ startups with talent acquisition and fundraising strategies leading to more than 2,000 hires, $300 million in raised capital, and $4 billion in acquisitions. Giovanni is an active board member and angel investor, who brings 15 years of experience designing and building teams for MedTech startups.

George Gregory has more than 30 years of professional experience in the accountancy profession. He served as Managing Partner at RSM Malta and prior to that in other partner roles including at top-tier firms. Throughout his career he took on numerous high-profile engagements including acquisitions, restructuring and strategic advisory.

Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, a family doctor, has worked in several hospitals, including St. Luke’s and Mater Dei, contributing to the 2007 hospital transition, and later served at the Paola health center. In 2024, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Active Aging within the Ministry of Health.

Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director of the Division of Country Health Policies and Systems at WHO/Europe, is a medical doctor, public health specialist and academic. She has extensive experience in Malta’s health sector and has published widely on public health and European health policy.

Hirak is a Principal with JJDC, the venture arm of Johnson &  Johnson. Hirak manages equity investments for JnJ MedTech in North America. He serves on several boards and is active in the local venture ecosystem. Previously, he managed the Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund and worked at Augment Ventures.

Kwame Ulmer is the Managing Partner at MedTech Impact Partners. Kwame brings over two decades of experience evaluating medical technologies in the government and private sector. He is also a Venture Partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health. He leads the MedTech practice and participates in all aspects of fund management (e.g. deal sourcing, diligence, negotiation, and advising portfolio company management teams). He is also a venture partner at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health. He leads the medtech practice and participates in all aspects of fund management (e.g. deal sourcing, diligence, negotiation, and advising portfolio company management teams)

Dr. Khulood Alsayegh, MD, is an accomplished healthcare leader and regulatory advisor, Head of Clinical Standards and Guidelines with Dubai Health Authority, a non- resident fellow researcher with Mohamed Bin Rashid School of Governance and consultant Family Physician. Qualified at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Harvard Medical school, Boston. She has 20 years of clinical experience in the United States, Europe, the GCC and the United Arab Emirates. Pioneer in Telehealth and AI ethics, certified as the first ethical Lead Assessor in healthcare within the Middle East and Africa, by IEEE. Participated as a speaker in multiple local and international conferences. Won multiple international awards and is currently leading the ongoing development of clinical standards for application to both private and public sectors across the emirate of Dubai.

Gautam is a Partner at TCP Health Ventures (part of The Capital Partnership Group with AUM of US$ 7 billion) and focuses on early stage investments in medtech space. Gautam serves as a member of Board of Directors for Tioga Cardiovascular Inc., Adona Medical Inc., Plexaa Limited, and Akura Medical Inc. Gautam has over 20+ years of experience in private investments space across various geographies (US, Europe, Asia, and Africa) with total deployed capital of $1+ billion.

Jotthe joined Intuitive Ventures in 2021, with a background in microfluidics, neurostimulation, women’s health, infectious disease, and molecular diagnostics to Intuitive Ventures. Jotthe’s firsthand experience within mission-driven, quickly growing, and nimble organizations (startups Oculeve and Visby Medical) has informed her love of entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation.

Dr. Swarna Balasubramaniam is a surgeon, inventor and medical device entrepreneur. She is the founder of Noleus Technologies, medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative technologies intended to accelerate recovery and to improve outcomes after surgery. The first product aims to establish a new standard of care for post-operative ileus through its’ differentiated and proprietary technology to reliably accelerate the return of bowel function after abdominal surgery. She is a board certified surgeon and has 20 years of experience as a practicing surgeon . She was raised in the Boston MA, and completed medical school and general surgery training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. She worked as a general surgeon at Kaiser Permanente for two years prior to completing a colon & rectal surgery fellowship at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles. She has experience in basic science research in the areas of radiologic imaging, cardio-renal physiology, molecular oncology and in clinical translational surgical research.

Stefan Madansingh is a technology development and IP manager at Mayo Clinic Ventures supporting innovation, technology translation, seed investment and commercialization efforts across the Mayo Clinic enterprise. Stefan has a background in aerospace engineering, a PhD in biomechanics and neuromotor control and completed his post-doc training at Mayo Clinic.

Daniel is the Founder & CEO of SonoVascular. He has over 35 years of global healthcare experience with a successful track record of building and growing medical technology businesses. Daniel has held senior leadership positions in general management and business development with leading healthcare companies, including Abbott and J&J. He received his BS in Business Administration from Syracuse University and his MBA from the University of Miami.

Dr. Spencer Todd has spent his years at FDA, large medical device manufacturers, and as a consultant bringing medical devices to market in the US and the European Union. Spencer founded FormlyAI to create innovative software that provides a fast and affordable option for medical device certification that founders need.

Dr. Gershony is an internationally recognized interventional cardiologist and serial MedTech entrepreneur. He was the Founder of Vascular Solutions, helped lead a successful IPO in 2000, and served as the company’s Chief Medical Officer and Board member. He subsequently co-founded AngioScore which developed novel angioplasty scoring balloons and served as Chief Medical Office and Board member until its acquisition in 2014. Dr. Gershony is a Founding General Partner at BayMed Venture Partners which is based in San Francisco. He currently serves on the boards of multiple medical device companies and is a frequent speaker at investor conferences

Alex Condon is a co-founder of Galen Data, a medical device cloud data platform. Previously, Alex was the Chief Strategy officer at Tietronix Software, a NASA contractor focusing on Life Sciences innovations. Alex has represented Healthcare and Space technologies on six Mayor-led international trade missions for the City of Houston.

Dr. Myriam Fernández, AWS EMEA’s Head of Health Innovation, guides clients and partners in leveraging cloud solutions for personalized, outcomes-driven healthcare initiatives. With 20+ years of experience across Europe and the USA, she’s a trusted C-Suite advisor and industry-recognized leader in clinical transformation, digital health, and continuous improvement. A PhD nurse, professor, and author, she’s driving innovation and Generative AI in healthcare. Recently crowned “Most Admired Woman in Digital Health”.

A medical device executive with 20 years of experience developing high impact innovative medical devices and an author of 90+ US patents and patent applications.
An early employee of Baylis Medical (acquired by Boston Scientific), Sadra Medical (acquired by Boston Scientific), Symetis (acquired by Boston Scientific) and co-founder of AboGen (acquired by Orasure Technologies). Co-founder of Anchor Orthopedics, a commercial stage medical device company, CEO of BariaTek, an obesity company, and CEO of Holistick Medical, a structural heart company.

Pablo is a former pharma executive and entrepreneur turned investor with CG Health Ventures, investing in early stage medtech and healthtech globally. Its portfolio spans from diagnostics to medical devices and software, and includes over 17 active investments with a strong focus in the USA.

Dave Marver serves as CEO of ONWARD Medical, a highly innovative medical technology company developing therapies for people with spinal cord injury. ONWARD has 10 FDA Breakthrough Device Designation Awards and over 240 issued patents covering its neuromodulation and brain-computer interface platforms.

Mark Lehmkuhle is CEO and founder of Epitel. With a background in Biomedical Engineering, Mark holds a doctorate in Neural Engineering specializing in electrophysiology signal processing. Mark left a career in academia to build Epitel’s wireless, wearable EEG sensors specifically to address the need for improved EEG equity and accessibility.

Dr. Albert Huang is a surgeon, founder and CEO of Allotrope Medical which was acquired in 2023. With a lifelong passion for solving problems, creative design, and entrepreneurship, he has found success both in the academic setting as well as within medtech innovation.

Darcy Bachert is the Founder and CEO of Prolucid, an ISO 13485 certified software engineering firm that specializes in custom medical software development. Over the past 16 years Darcy has grown Prolucid to a team of 25, supporting innovative medtech companies across the world in successfully bringing their applications and devices to market.

John is an accomplished healthcare leader with over a decade of experience collaborating with health systems, healthcare partners, and early-stage companies. His expertise spans strategic venture capital investments, innovation, advisory services, and financial consulting. Currently, as a Managing Director at Rex Health Ventures (RHV), he co-leads the corporate venture arm of UNC Health, driving a culture of innovation and delivering financial returns through strategic equity investments in early-stage companies.

Co-founder of HighLife, a Cardiovascular Medtech company based in Paris and California, Malek has a biomechanical engineering background. He has developed a Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement technology from early concept to production. After conducting pre-clinical testing then First In Human implant, he is now leading Therapy Development and clinical implementation globally.

Dr. Arber Shehu, Associate Medical Director at AstraZeneca US, leads efforts to combat cancer mortality through lung cancer initiatives in US Medical Affairs. He’s a key advocate for digital health solutions to enhance medical services. With expertise in Covid-19 research and an ongoing MBA in healthcare management and innovation at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Shehu bridges cutting-edge technology and patient care.

Professor Shafi Ahmed is a world-renowned, multi-award-winning surgeon, teacher, futurist, innovator,entrepreneur, humanitarian, and an international keynote speaker. He is a 3x TEDx speaker and has deliveredover 350 keynotes in over 40 countries.After studying medicine at Kings College Hospital Medical School London, he completed his surgical training inLondon. He was appointed as a laparoscopic colorectal surgeon specialising in colorectal cancer at The RoyalLondon and St Bartholomew’s Hospitals.He is a serial entrepreneur and is the CEO of Medical Realities, an award-winning AI-powered XR medicaleducation company. He was appointed Chief Medical Metaverse Officer at AIMEDIS, building the world’s firsthealth metaverse. He also cofounded GIANT Health, the largest medical technology conference in the UK.He has received multiple professorships and honorary doctorates and was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee in2020 for his humanitarian work in conflict zones for over a decade. In 2018, he was awarded the Future NHSaward for NHS70 by Members of Parliament. In 2017, he was the top British Asian star in Tech. He was also theBritish Bangladeshi of the Year 2017.He recently launched the Shafi Ahmed Foundation International as an advocate for equality and a passion forhumanitarian projects. This foundation aims to provide relief and aid to those in need whilst promoting accessto medical training.

Chelsea Isaac, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Proxima CRO, specializes in connecting small and mid-sized innovative companies with Proxima’s clinical, regulatory, and quality experts. She excels at understanding each company’s unique needs, ensuring perfect pairings with the right experts for optimal results.

Homer assists medical device companies as they drive their technology from idea to the clinic via The Center for Rapid Device Translation which facilitates projects ranging from proof-of-concept to preclinical studies and clinical trials, leveraging the centralized resources and access to clinicians to support the rapid development of medical technology.

Jeyla is a co-founder of illumicell AI, a fertility tech company backed by Harvard Chan and Stanford Medicine. She previously co-founded Testasy, a telemedical provider, and Hack4Health Foundation, delivering telemedical aid and 200 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine. Her impactful work earned her invitations to speak at the World Economic Forum and on Swiss National Television.

Dr Zied Tayeb is the Co-founder and CEO of Myelin-H, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company on a mission to empower patients with neurological diseases through a universal and digital platform for brain health monitoring and recovery. The neurotechnology enables the remote monitoring and neurorehabilitation of patients with neurological disorders. Dr Tayeb holds a PhD in brain-computer interfaces and was trained as a computer scientist. He is also an associate professor of neurotechnology in the UK. He was selected by NASA iTech as one of the top 10 innovators in 2019, nominated for the International Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Award in 2020, and recognised by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering as a global leader in neurotechnology in 2022.

Maria Nyåkern, PhD, is a MedTech leader and entrepreneur. She founded AKRN Scientific Consulting, a CRO acquired by NAMSA, and ACR Talent Solutions, a staff augmentation firm, both serving the MedTech industry. Through her investment company, Nyåkern Nexus, she supports emerging medical device technologies, underscoring her dual role as both an innovator and investor in the industry.

Liana leads 8400’s Joint Venture with the Israeli Government and more than 20 strategic partnerships with leading global and local HealthTech stakeholders. Previously, she advised Opposition Leader Tsipi Livni and Israel’s Attorney General, Dr. Avichai Mandelblit. Liana holds an MSc from University College London and is a Chevening Scholar.

Michal brings over a decade of experience in the life sciences sector, holding key executive roles in business development, corporate development, and strategy. She has led multiple transactions, company creation, and strategic alliances at Neopharm and SK Pharma. Michal holds an MA in Law and a BSc in Biotechnology.

Osama Alsaleh, Head of Partnerships at Plug and Play Health, is a healthcare leader advancing global solutions through strategic collaborations. With expertise in healthcare IT, venture capital, innovation and health equity, he has previously led Oracle’s health equity team and represented them on the White House Covid-19 Taskforce. Osama studied at George Washington University and Harvard and speaks 4 languages.

Anna Lisa Somera, has >20 years’ experience in start-ups, including roles in venture capital, operations, and regulatory affairs. As CEO (employee #1) at Rhaeos, a medical device company whose products have been used in hundreds of people, she brought in >$30M and named the first female winner of MedTech Innovator.

Braulio is Principal of BioTeknica, a global provider of engineering, regulatory, and quality solutions specializing in the MedTech and pharmaceutical industries. A subject matter expert in design and implementation of quality systems, he has 30+ years of successfully helping MedTech companies achieve compliance. Braulio is a sought-after thought-leader and speaker who has served as expert witness on FDA regulations, led multiple Third-Party Certifications for Consent Decrees and Warning Letter responses, and has authored articles for leading industry publications. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from the University of Miami.

Martin is a medical device entrepreneur and engineer with 20 years of experience in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology device development.  He currently serves as CEO of Gradient Denervation Technologies, a Paris-based start-up that has developed a catheter-based pulmonary denervation system to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension and associated heart failure.

Meagan is co-founder and CEO at Bairitone Health, which is bringing advanced imaging diagnostics into the home environment. Meagan worked in ophthalmology at Lexicon Pharmaceuticals and managed a diverse intellectual property portfolio as an IP officer at Baylor College of Medicine. Meagan holds a Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine.

Sabine has over 15 years of experience from the Biotech/Med-tech industry, among others from supporting the foundation of several successful start-ups within the research center and incubator “Caesar” in Bonn. Co-founding the biotech company Biosensor/SAW Instruments GmbH in 2007 (sold 2013). Sabine has been leading Occlutech a medical device company for the past 10 years as CFO and CEO, contributing to accelerated growth and geographic expansion, including the company’s first FDA approval. Also the company has successfully brought innovation to the market in Congenital Heart Disease, Stroke Prevention and Heart Failure.

Savannah Esteve Morreale is the Surgery Innovation Program Director at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. She leverages her experience in biomedical and usability engineering to empower clinicians to transform insights into products, foster collaborations to further develop and commercialize technologies, and develop innovation educational programs.

Tyler is CEO & Co-founder of Madison Scientific (MadSci), a UW-Madison spin-out company developing a Smart Shunt for hydrocephalus. He previously co-founded and currently serves as President and a board member of Innoblative, a cancer ablation company spun out of Northwestern. Also, he is also on the board of EDGe Surgical, a revenue-stage Orthopaedic and Spine medical device company. He invests in MedTech as an angel investor and on behalf of his family office. Tyler is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University where he teaches NUvention Medical, Northwestern’s BioDesign curriculum.

Dr. Sascha Berger leads NEOM’s biotech and medtech investments, bringing nearly 20 years of experience to the role. Based in Saudi Arabia, he drives innovation in life sciences through strategic investments, supporting groundbreaking technologies globally. Previously, he was a General Partner at TVM Capital Life Science, focusing on advancing healthcare innovation.

Dr. Margaret Kalmeta is a surgeon, who invented a post-surgical rapid healing technology that helps patients avoid brain infections.  Radiographically and visually, her patented technology closed combination hard and soft tissue wounds 500% faster than competitor products, even for patients with diabetes.   Due to the incredibly high unmet medical need in non-healing diabetic foot wounds, Dr. Kalmeta transferred her technology to the advanced wound market, where it has already saved limbs and lives in numerous patients.   She was raised in the Chicagoland area and completed her education at Loyola School of Dental Surgery, where she received extracurricular training in Facial Plastic Surgery and Dental Surgery with Honors. She founded several practices where she was the CEO and Surgeon for nearly 20 years. During the last 10 years, prompted by high unmet medical needs, she has developed her own products and protocols.  Since 2022, Dr. Margaret Kalmeta has served as founder and CEO of Rapid Nexus Nanotech Wound Solutions and has been driving a pathway forward to better wound care outcomes. The problem is not the “hole” ie. the wound.  The problem is the broken-down, less bio-active tissue surrounding the non-healing wound, actually preventing it from healing.

Introducing Hemastyl R, the World’s First PeriWound and Neuropathy wound healing product.

Diana Saraceni is Co-Founder & General Partner at Panakes, a Venture Capital firm dedicated to early-stage investments in Life Sciences primarily in Europe and the US. With over 20 years of Venture Capital experience, she has also co-founded and managed 360 Capital Partners, another leading pan-European Venture Capital firm. She has led investments in a significant number of companies all over Europe, not only in the Life Sciences sector, and generated several exits as IPO and M&A transactions. Diana is also part of several committees in Europe and in the US for public/private grants and awards allocation to start-ups. She also follows several portfolios in neuroscience, oncology, endoscopy, tissue regeneration, ophthalmology and pain.

Todd Schwarzinger, Partner at Cleveland Clinic Ventures, focuses on investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and life sciences. With over 20 years of experience in investing, investment banking, and consulting, he serves on the boards of Centerline Biomedical, MethodAI, Mobius Care, Abcon, and Zehna Therapeutics.

Sanchita Pasi is a healthcare investment professional at EQT Life Sciences, where she focuses on MedTech, Diagnostics, and Digital Health innovations that aim to enhance the quality of care and deliver strong health economic outcomes. With a solid foundation in early-stage investments from her time at Sagana and Nina Capital, Sanchita has supported the growth of innovative health-tech companies globally. Her experience at Abbott Laboratories, where she worked in product management and business development across the EMEA region, provided her with a broad perspective on healthcare operations and commercialization strategies. Sanchita holds a Doctorate in Pharmacy and an MBA from SDA Bocconi. Combining her clinical background with business acumen, she is committed to investing in solutions that tackle critical global health challenges.

Dr. Rafael Veraza, a C-suite executive and translational science pioneer, leads Vascular Perfusion Solutions (VPS), achieving FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and orchestrating high-performance technical teams to drive successful medical device development and commercialization. Embracing a servant leadership approach, Rafa excels at blending technical expertise with business strategy, forging collaborations, and unlocking market potential in life sciences and MedTech.

Tyler Melton is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Corveus Medical, a Houston-based medical device that is developing a one-time, outpatient denervation solution that provides instant relief from the debilitating symptoms of heart failure.

Nathan Piland, CEO of Nunex, leverages over 20 years of MedTech experience, including a decade at Medtronic, to guide companies in transforming innovations into market-ready solution through his novel 7-Dimensional Framework to streamline regulatory pathways, market access, and product development, turning today’s groundbreaking ideas into tomorrow’s industry-shaping breakthroughs.

Sean leads Medtech and Life Sciences investing at Ascension Ventures, a healthcare strategic venture fund partnered with Ascension and 12 other health systems consisting of 460 acute care facilities across 42 states. He interested in investing at the intersection of devices, life sciences, and software.

He combines more than 15 years of strategic, technical, policy, and M&A experience to create value for companies, drawing from past roles at Philips, U.S. FDA CDRH, Boston Consulting Group, and operating at several health tech startups. Previously as a Partner at Philips Ventures, his investments covered interventional neurovascular and cardiology, patient monitoring, wearables, post-acute rehab, prenatal care, COPD, emergency care, imaging, digital pathology diagnostics, enterprise SaaS, and patient engagement.

With 25+ years in the health industry, I am a business communications expert, networker, and serial entrepreneur. As Managing Partner at FINN Partners, I provide integrated solutions for biotech and medtech organizations. As a C-level industry expert, I have led significant outsourcing solutions from molecule to market and served as a strategic advisor to C-suite and investor stakeholders, supporting fundraising efforts for emerging companies globally. I have also driven change initiatives, such as the internal communications for the merger of two device clients and the ongoing integrated engagement for a major corporate transformation. I also am the co-founder of Alverium Health, a global contract biotech organization (CBO) that has developed a unique approach to the commercialization journey. Our mission is to accelerate the development and delivery of innovative therapies that improve patients’ lives and address unmet medical needs.