Ep 47 - Geoff Martha updates Medtronic’s new course; AJAX CEO Duke Rohlen is funding innovation differently

Less than a year into his role as CEO, Geoff Martha and the Medtronic leadership has overseen a significant overhaul of medtech’s largest player. In our closing keynote conversation, Martha says the company is clearing minor COVID-19 bump and sees open road for the company to continue to grab share from competitors. Martha details what products are gaining the most traction while also identifying those that still have some ground to gain. We also discuss: - When it may bring its renal denervation project to the FDA - Why the surgical robotic Hugo system will be worth the wait (and why development has taken more than a decade) - Whether or not Medtronic will collaborate more with private equity firms, early-stage incubators and maybe even SPACs? - What will the company’s acquisition strategy look like in 2021. And why. - Why the price-cutting for drug-eluting stents may represent an opportunity for Medtronic’s more innovative products. Opening our episode is an important interview with Duke Rohlen, CEO of Ajax Health. Rohlen, a company builder who has generated more than a $1 billion in selling his companies to larger strategics, explains how his work with KKR creates more fertile opportunity for innovative medtech start-ups. Rohlen introduces us to Zeus Health, a new KKR-partnership that will be used to give medtech start-up CEOs the capital – and options – they need to build the next generation of innovative medtech products. Rohlen also breaks down the three critical stages of start-up development. Chris Newmarker, executive editor of Life Sciences, delivers his #NewmarkersNewsmakers. Topping the list is Asensus, the recently renamed Transenterix followed by Becton Dickinson announcing a new deal with Scanwell, former Verb CEO Scott Huennekens leading a new SPAC, Abiomed CEO Michael Minogue leading AdvaMed and PavidMed spinning of a subsidiary, Lucid Medical. Paul Heney of Design World, a sister publication to MassDevice, also invites medtech engineers to submit their best work to the R&D 100 contest for most innovative creations. Find out more at https://www.rd100conference.com/