It has been eight years since we started IOMED. Eight years since the idea of building a federated network for clinical data went from a concept on a whiteboard to a real, growing company. As we reach this milestone, I find myself reflecting on the journey—the challenges, the learnings, and the mission that continues to drive us forward.
This has been a journey from being a physician, focused on the care of one patient at a time, to a founder, focused on building a system that can impact the health of millions.
Bridging Two Worlds
The biggest challenge, and the greatest opportunity, has always been bridging the two worlds of medicine and technology. Clinicians and engineers are trained to think differently. Doctors are trained to deal with ambiguity and make decisions with incomplete information, always prioritizing the individual patient. Engineers are trained to build deterministic, scalable systems that are robust and reliable.
Bringing these two mindsets together is the special sauce of a healthtech company. It has required constant translation and a deep, mutual respect for the expertise that each side brings. I’ve learned that the best ideas emerge when a clinician describes a real-world problem and an engineer can see a scalable technical solution. Our culture is built on that dialogue.
Lessons in Leadership and Resilience
Building a company is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s one that is run over a series of hurdles. We’ve navigated technical challenges, a global pandemic, and a tough fundraising climate. We’ve celebrated big wins and learned from painful mistakes.
Through it all, a few key lessons have stood out:
- The Mission is the Anchor: In the turbulent world of a startup, the mission is the one thing that remains constant. Our goal of unlocking the value of health data to improve patient outcomes has been our north star, guiding our decisions and keeping the team motivated through difficult times.
- Build for Trust: In healthcare, trust is everything. We’ve learned that building trust with our hospital partners requires more than just a good product; it requires transparency, reliability, and a genuine commitment to their success and the privacy of their patients.
- The Team is Everything: You can have the best idea in the world, but without the right team to execute it, it will remain just an idea. I am incredibly proud of the resilient, passionate, and mission-driven team we have built at IOMED.
The Next Eight Years
When I look back at the past eight years, I’m proud of the technology we’ve built, the network we’ve established, and the impact we’re beginning to have. But when I look forward, I see that we are still just at the beginning.
The convergence of AI, federated data, and a more connected European health data landscape is creating an unprecedented opportunity. Our goal for the next eight years is to scale our impact dramatically—to become the default infrastructure for real-world evidence generation in Europe. We want to see our platform contribute to the development of new treatments, the optimization of clinical care, and a deeper understanding of human health.
The journey from physician to founder has been the most challenging and rewarding of my life. I am more convinced than ever that by bringing the worlds of medicine and technology together, we can build a healthier future.