#23 – Disrupting the smart wearables industry – Leo Grünstein – Spiden
Wearables are a form of technology that has rapidly become a part of our lives over the past 15 years, with the introduction of devices from Fitbit, Apple, Samsung, and others to the market.
Initially informing us about our heart rate and daily step count, they have evolved to incorporate increasingly sophisticated features, allowing us to track our sleep relatively accurately, monitor our overall physical activity, and sometimes even include recognized medical functions (such as the FDA-approved atrial fibrillation detection of the Apple Watch).
However, no device of this type allows for real-time quantification of molecules circulating in our blood or other bodily fluids, through optical methods.
And that’s exactly the challenge that Leo and his team at Spiden have set for themselves: to create the most advanced wearable, capable of continuously and non-invasively measuring multiple biomarkers circulating in our bodies.
This could redefine our understanding of our own physiology and change our approach to medicine, by providing insights for the prevention, diagnosis, and monitoring of several conditions, that were previously inaccessible.
Since its creation in 2017, Spiden has been operating away from the spotlight, but Leo does us the honor in this exclusive episode to reveal the first secrets behind Spiden’s technology.
We discuss its functioning, its initial applications, who the future users will be, and also the incredible team of world-renowned scientists Leo has managed to bring together in the fields of optics, electronic engineering, and machine learning (three fields that were originally completely foreign to him) to achieve his vision.
A fascinating conversation about the future of personalized medicine with a bold and successful entrepreneur!
Timeline:
- 03:43 – Leo’s background as a serial entrepreneur from fintech to deep tech
- 04:56 – Why Leo found Spiden and works towards improving our health
- 07:14 – The mission of Spiden
- 11:00 – The technology behind Spiden
- 14:47 – The biomarkers that Spiden can track
- 19:02 – Target users of Spiden’s future wearable
- 22:28 – Designing a health-dedicated device
- 24:10 – Attracting world talents in fields you are not initially from
- 34:01 – The importance of in-person interactions in a scientific and multidisciplinary team
What we also talked about with Leo:
- Continuous glucose monitoring (Abbott Freestyle Libre)
- Bits & Pretzels HealthTech
- Photoplethysmography (PPG)
- Biohacking
- Glucose Goddess
- Whoop
- Oura
- Garmin
- Huberman Lab
- induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)
We cited with Leo some of the past episodes from the series:
- #4 – Filtering the blood with nanoengineered beads – Lukas Langenegger – Hemotune
- #11 – Turning the lab into a wearable platform – Esmeralda Megally – Xsensio
- #21 – Transforming hypertension care with a bracelet – Jay Shah – Aktiia
You can learn more about Spiden through their website. Feel free to follow as well their activities on LinkedIn!
As mentioned by Leo during the episode, you can learn about the painful history of non-invasive glucose measurement through the book “The Pursuit of Noninvasive Glucose – Hunting the Deceitful Turkey” by John L. Smith.
If you want to get in touch with Leo, feel free to contact him over LinkedIn.
If you want to give me feedback on the episode or suggest potential guests, you can contact me over LinkedIn or via email at [email protected]!
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