In this podcast episode, Eudaemon's co-founders, Rob Gorkin and Simon Cook, discuss their journey from academia to entrepreneurship and their challenges in bringing their next-generation hydrogel condom to market. The conversation covers topics such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's call for a better feeling condom, the unique challenges of building a Medtech business, and disrupting the 100-year-old industry of latex condoms.
You will also learn about the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach, a no-assholes policy, and professional advice from serial entrepreneurs for others considering entrepreneurship.
About Eudaemon Technologies
Eudaemon is a company focused on providing superior Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) products. Their flagship project, Geldom, aims to produce a condom made from innovative tough hydrogels, which will revolutionise the safe sex industry by providing enhanced feel and lubrication, no adverse odours or tastes, no allergic reactions, and an unprecedented ability to customise sensual experiences. With the aim is to disrupt the $28B contraceptive market, $13B fertility market, and $100B+ STD diagnosis and treatment markets.
Their mission is to provide superior SRH products to every person for every situation. They are bridging internal and partner-based next-gen capabilities in Advanced Manufacturing, Material Science, and Human Centred Design to benefit consumers, manufacturers, brands, and health agencies.
Eudaemon has recently received $4 million in funding from the NSW Medical Devices Fund (MDF) and $1.5 million from the Australian Government’s Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program, delivered by MTPConnect, to advance the clinical trial of their next-generation hydrogel condom project.
About Dr Robert Gorkin
Rob Gorkin is a biomedical engineer and serial entrepreneur who is passionate about bringing innovative concepts to commercial reality at the intersection of Industry 4.0 and social good. He is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Eudaemon Technologies. Rob is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wollongong's SMART Infrastructure Facility in Australia. He holds a PhD and a MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, as well as an MBA from the University of Wollongong's Sydney Business School.
About Dr Simon Cook
Simon Cook is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Eudaemon Technologies. He holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Wollongong and has previously worked as an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Swinburne University of Technology and as a Visiting Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Kinsey Institute in the USA as a Fulbright Future Scholar. With his expertise in science and technology, Simon plays a key role in developing and implementing Eudaemon's platform technologies, including producing next-generation hydrogel condoms.
Chapters
0:00 Intro Eudaemon
1:28 Intro Rob Gorkin & Simon Cook
2:45 Serendipity & becoming a co-founder (Simon’s background)
6:00 Rob’s journey from academia to entrepreneurship
08:53 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation & the call for a better feeling condom
11:47 BBFH Challenge, Funding and the gap to commercialisation
15:35 The complexity of brining a condom to market
17:40 Skin-like feeling condoms thanks to hydrogels
20:05 The start of Eudaemon
22:07 The risks&struggle as a founder in academia
24:16 The importance of family&friends
25:39 Nick Northcott, third co-founder
26:28 Why the switch into entrepreneurship is hard but rewarding
29:55 Academia can be tough for founders
32:48 The birth of Eudaemon and the next-generation condom
36:58 Unique challenges buil
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.