The Japanese startup killing the nasal swab

Sometimes it seems like Japan just can't figure out medtech startups.

In theory, Japan should be one of the most active startup markets for medical technology. In practice, however, there are relatively few success cases.

Today we are going to meet one of those success cases and talk with Sho Okiyama, MD and founder of Aillis, who has developed a minimally invasive flu and covid test that is already in widespread use in Japan. Hopefully, no one will ever need to stick another swab up your nose.

We also talk about Sho's time as a rural doctor, what's straining Japan's healthcare system, and how to fix it before it breaks.

It's a great conversation, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Show Notes

Why influenza diagnosis has been so resistant to AI

You’ll never get another swab stuck up your nose

What practicing as a rural doctor taught Sho about Japan's healthcare system

Some Japanese still turn to Shamanism for medical advice

Starting an AI startup without a technical founder

Building a medical training dataset from scratch