“Looking back I was always a scientist at heart. I was the kid who wanted the microscope and the chemistry set for Christmas. The one who took our television apart because I was intrigued by the cathode-ray tube and wanted to see the accelerating rate. Unfortunately I couldn't put it back together much to my family’s dismay but I was able to see the parts I wanted to see and how it worked!”
Judi grew up in a public house, entering the workforce at a young age she thrived working closely with customers, suggesting an early aptitude for her people-centered approach that would later define her career. Her love for science grew throughout her school years and she went on to complete her BSc degree in Clinical Measurement Science at Dublin’s Institute of Technology. Here she gained valuable experience through hospital placements and what she refers to as a very lucky opportunity, a mentor whose passion would have a lasting effect on Judi’s professional journey. Dr. Ann O'Shaughnessy's philosophy and expectation that no one leaves the patient's room until a complete understanding of their condition is established, created a culture of meticulousness and patient-centered care within the team. A truly phenomenal leader who equipped Judi with the training, work ethic and inspiration needed to enter the vascular field in a manner that filled her with a deep sense of responsibility and commitment to excellence. Working as a vascular physiologist, diagnosing and assessing conditions related to blood flow and vascular health, Judi found herself truly fulfilled and motivated by her newfound passion.
“I had really found something that I liked, and that I was actually good at. I had discovered my career niche, increasingly curious about all aspects related to the vascular field. I wanted to know more about the technology we used to fix the problems, the different types of surgeries performed to overcome the issues we were witnessing day in and day out, and the treatments used.”
While maintaining her full-time role in healthcare, Judi's fascination with the technological advancements in vascular medicine inspired her to pursue part-time studies in Intellectual Property Law. Her goal was to further understand how ideas in this space are successfully commercialised and to learn how patents on medical devices were filed, protected, and licensed. And she didn't stop there. Judi continued her studies in the field of business, enhancing her aptitude to achieve the perfect balance between healthcare and business practice. This foundation would empower her to create something truly remarkable in the years to come.
Given her newly acquired skills, it was a natural progression for her to transition from caregiver to a position on the ‘other’ side: corporate. She took on a role supporting sales and marketing for a local distributor in Ireland for Medtronic, where she managed their peripheral vascular portfolio. This role provided a significant shift in perspective. Previously, her focus had been deeply rooted in understanding the needs of patients and physicians and the use of devices within vascular healthcare practice. Now she had a crucial understanding of the needs and priorities of the vascular healthcare product suppliers themselves. In a unique position, able to bring these two perspectives together, she saw a glaringly obvious challenge with regards to vascular closure devices that no one was willing to address. Dr Samir Anous, gave her a particularly hard time selling the not so perfect but only available device on the market for which she was responsible for. She wholeheartedly agreed with (and shared) his frustration. The irony was that training a physician for major surgery appeared less challenging than instructing them on the use of a medical device that required forty eight steps to accomplish a seemingly simple task: closing a surgical incision. Not to mention, the device would frequently fail, requiring two to five devices to complete the procedure, increasing the risk involved for the patient.
When Covid-19 hit, Judi took the time to digest the continuous stream of client complaints and entertained the idea of a potential solution. She started with research into the Maude Report from the FDA which revealed that this was not about unskilled application of the device, and certainly nothing training could fix. The lack of significant innovation in the field, with the dominant device having been introduced two decades prior, underscored the urgent need for innovation. With multinationals having little interest in pursuing R&D into a lower cost device, the door was left wide open for the brave who dared to take this on. Dr Samir Anous and Judi joined forces and the Spoirad business was formed.
A comprehensive competitive analysis was undertaken to understand the patent landscape, identify industry best practices, and uncover the challenges facing the current market. The pair spent their days between the local abattoir and Judi’s kitchen counter, bench testing their makeshift prototypes. Working closely with engineers to perfect the design from initial napkin drawings, to CAD format, to 3D printed models, they soon created the ideal product, one that would combat all the challenges they had previously experienced with current market devices.
“When developing a product companies often just look at patient needs but we knew we had to think about much more than that. For the doctors it needed to be easy to use, and minimise the complication rates they were experiencing. And the hospitals? You may have a great product but they are unlikely to make a switch to a more expensive product.”
Judi has quite perfectly managed to balance her dual experience in healthcare to inform Spoirad's product, one that fulfills corporate expectations whilst ensuring a patient-centric focus. Identified as a high potential startup by Enterprise Ireland, the pair’s efforts were further supported with a grant and expectation that one of the co-founders would take on a full time role in the business. Judi stepped up to the plate and today assumes the role of CEO while Dr Samir Anous continues in his role as consultant and Chief Medical Officer. Their device, designed to simplify femoral artery access closure, demonstrated success in basic lab testing and subsequently in an acute animal study conducted in Paris using a live sheep model. Following these promising results, a refined and more elegant design has been perfected, attracting significant attention from industry observers. This dynamic team has achieved remarkable progress, securing funding and garnering strong support for the Spoirad vision. Establishing a collaborative agreement with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, a co-manufacturing agreement with RCSI and NIPRO Japan, a filed intellectual property portfolio, and a growing pipeline of innovative devices, their rapid and methodical approach to building a successful business from the ground up is truly impressive.
“I see myself in this space for the long term. I really enjoy helping other startups who may be a few steps behind us and are developing really cool products. It keeps me updated, looking at wider market trends even if it isn't particularly within my niche. There is actually a lot of crossover if you are open to seeing it, and while I may be able to advise them, they are often advising me on my product too. These relationships are symbiotic in so many ways.”
This down to earth, driven, humble, obsessed and incredibly hard working Founder explains that the reality of making progress is in the simple act of avoiding inaction. While no Founder will perform at their highest level every day, Judi is testament to the fact that it IS realistic to keep moving towards your goal when you maintain passion and perseverance. Her journey demonstrates that consistent effort, even in the face of challenges, can lead to meaningful progress and success in building a business. She believes there is no smooth sailing in the entrepreneurial journey and that we should accept it as inherently bumpy- not so bad when one finds something that is truly worth the struggle and sacrifice. The profound impact of this product, which directly addresses critical risks such as limb loss, the need for blood transfusions, increased infection risk, and acute kidney injury associated with significant blood loss, makes her mission deeply meaningful and worthy of all the sacrifices.
“It is all about expecting a cycle of unknowns, testing, learning, raising funds and nurturing key relationships to forge the pathway for the next stage and milestone. We just saw a need and went for it. I love seeing the growth. We WILL get our product over the line and to patients.”
Judi demonstrates a keen ability to build a lean business by strategically assembling a core team of high-impact talent and leveraging collaborative partnerships with expert suppliers in critical areas like technology, lab testing and packaging. A lifelong learner, she embraces continuous upskilling throughout the Spoirad journey, from mastering CAD software to navigating complex financial models. Like a sponge, she eagerly absorbs knowledge and insights, relentlessly expanding her expertise to bring the Spoirad vision to fruition. From initial blue-sky brainstorming on the ideal solution, this company has progressed to a stage where it has a functional product poised to revolutionize the stagnant vascular device market – a truly remarkable achievement and no mean feat in the harsh MedTech industry. A journey only for the brave, Judi is one courageous founder who dared to dream big. This proud Irish Founder is determined to promote the capabilities of her country's ability to bring new medical devices to market.
“Solving niche challenges Founders face”.