Category Archives: Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot

Sami Inkinen of Virta Health on AI-Native Healthcare and Reversing Metabolic Disease

Access to Care, Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:28 — 19.7MB)

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In this Apollo House 2026 fireside chat, StartUp Health community member Sami Inkinen, CEO & Founder of Virta Health, shares how a personal diagnosis of pre-diabetes led him to build one of the fastest-growing companies in metabolic health.

Virta Health is proving that Type 2 diabetes and obesity can be reversed with nutrition, supported by technology and AI. Inkinen discusses how Virta has built one of the largest longitudinal biomarker datasets in metabolic disease reversal and is deploying AI agents, supervised by clinicians, to support patients every day.

He offers blunt insight into the current standard of care, explains why he believes disease reversal must become the common-sense approach, and shares how Virta became AI-native across every function, from hiring to board strategy.

This episode covers:

• The future of AI in healthcare operations and patient care
• Why food as therapy creates a complex, software-driven challenge
• The tension between GLP-1 drugs and root-cause treatment
• Scaling a B2B2C healthcare company to sustainability
• Advice for founders building in the age of AI

As a live recording, the audio reflects the energy of the room rather than a studio setting.

Do you want to participate in live conversations with industry luminaries? When you join StartUp Health – a private community for founders, investors, buyers, and industry leaders to connect year-round – you are invited to a full calendar of interactive Fireside Chats with the most influential leaders shaping health innovation. Come with questions, learn what is working right now, and connect with industry icons.
» Learn more and join today.

How Spotlight-AQ Is Redefining Diabetes Care Through Psychosocial Precision

How Spotlight-AQ Is Redefining Diabetes Care Through Psychosocial Precision

Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Type 1 Diabetes Moonshot, , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:07 — 27.6MB)

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StartUp Health community member Katharine Barnard-Kelly, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Spotlight-AQ, joins StartUp Health co-founder Unity Stoakes to share how her team is transforming diabetes care by giving providers a window into their patients’ real lives.

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Barnard-Kelly explains how Spotlight-AQ’s AI-driven clinical tool helps providers deliver holistic, biopsychosocial care that improves outcomes for patients, reduces burnout for clinicians, and saves costs for health systems.

In this episode:

  • How Spotlight-AQ uses AI to match each patient’s real-world experience with optimal routine care

  • The simple, three-minute questionnaire that helps providers focus on what matters most

  • Why holistic care is critical for managing chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity

  • Lessons from Dr. Barnard-Kelly’s journey from health psychology to health tech entrepreneurship

  • How Spotlight-AQ achieved FDA qualification for a person-reported outcome measure in diabetes

  • What’s next after earning second place in the 2025 Breakthrough T1D Israel Innovation Challenge

  • Why being part of the StartUp Health community has been so valuable for connection and collaboration

Tune in to hear how Dr. Katharine Barnard-Kelly is building a bridge between science and clinical practice – and making biopsychosocial care the new standard for precision medicine.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Enhance-d: Empowering Everybody Living with Diabetes to Reach Their Exercise Goals

Business, Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Health, Healthcare, Innovation, Startups, Type 1 Diabetes Moonshot, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:00 — 27.5MB)

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This week on the StartUp Health NOW podcast, we sit down with Sam Scott, PhD, CEO & Co-founder of Enhance-d, a Switzerland-based company transforming how people with diabetes approach exercise.

Sam shares how his experience working with professional athletes living with Type 1 diabetes inspired a digital coaching platform that integrates CGM and wearable data to personalize workouts and improve glucose control. He also talks about the company’s new clinical pilots with Dexcom, its growing global community of users, and the next generation of AI-powered coaching tools.

Listen in to learn how Enhance-d is helping people with diabetes turn movement into medicine – and why collaboration across sports tech, med tech, and clinical care will shape the future of active diabetes management.

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot PRO Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.

Exploring the Connection Between the Brain and Metabolism

SynchNeuro: How a Neurosurgeon Is Changing Cardiometabolic Care

Business, Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot, Health, Innovation, Startups, , , , , , , ,

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (38.2MB)

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Ever wonder where the next big breakthrough in health will come from? Sometimes, the most innovative solutions arise from the most unexpected places. This week’s podcast episode dives into the fascinating world of a neurosurgeon who’s revolutionizing glucose monitoring. Join us as we explore the groundbreaking work of Dr. Casey Halpern, co-founder of SynchNeuro, who is changing cardiometabolic care via the brain.

We discuss:

  • The unexpected connection between the brain and metabolism: How a neurosurgeon specializing in Parkinson’s disease came across a game-changing approach to glucose monitoring.
  • A non-invasive CGM for everyone: Learn about SynchNeuro’s innovative behind-the-ear EEG device that could make continuous glucose monitoring accessible and affordable for millions at risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
  • From physician to founder: Dr. Halpern shares his inspiring story as a doctorpreneur, leading the double life of a medical career and leading a cutting-edge health tech startup.
  • The future of cardiometabolic health: We explore how this new technology, combined with the rise of GLP-1 medications, could transform the way we manage and prevent diabetes and heart disease.
  • The science behind the breakthrough: A deep dive into the research connecting brain signals to appetite and blood sugar regulation.

Tune in to discover how SynchNeuro – a member of our Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot Community – is poised to reshape the landscape of cardiometabolic health and empower individuals to take control of their wellbeing.

 

For years, chronic health problems like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes have grown, becoming some of society’s biggest killers. Thankfully, there’s a generation of entrepreneurs tackling the issue from every angle. In the Cardiometabolic Health Moonshot Community, mission-aligned founders and CEOs collaborate to accelerate breakthroughs in cardiometabolic disease prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, management, and cures.
» Meet the Community
» Join the Community

Are you ready to tell YOUR story? Members of our Health Moonshot Communities are leading startups with breakthrough technology-driven solutions for the world’s biggest health challenges. Exposure in StartUp Health Media to our global audience of investors and partners – including our podcast, newsletters, magazine, and YouTube channel – is a benefit of our Health Moonshot Community Showcase Membership. To schedule a call and see if you qualify to join and increase brand awareness through our multi-media storytelling efforts, submit our three-minute application. If you’re mission-driven, collaborative, and ready to contribute as much as you gain, you might be the perfect fit.
» Learn more and apply today.

Want more content like this? Sign up for StartUp Health Insider™ to get funding insights, news, and special updates delivered to your inbox.