Back
Thursday Gathering
Zero to One: Driving Validation for Early-Stage Healthtech
Jul 9, 2026, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+1

📍 1 Triton Square, London NW1 3BF

Validation can make or break early stage healthtech. Investors, healthcare providers, and regulators all want evidence, but where do founders begin when resources are limited?

 

Join healthtech innovators and industry experts to discuss practical pathways for generating early evidence, validating clinical need, and strengthening your value proposition. Discover how to build confidence in your solution, attract key supporters, and create the foundations for future funding, clinical adoption, and commercial success.


We're partnering with Global Tech Advocates Healthtech to bring a night of showcasers, insights and connection across the health landscape.

 
Global Tech Advocates HealthTech is a growing, non-profit organization of volunteer advocates helping to connect, assist and collaborate with innovators, investors, life sciences companies, and healthcare providers worldwide. They enable thier members to connect and to learn via face-2-face events, webinars, and expert mentoring.

 

Powered by Advanced Research + Invention Agency                                  

              

In partnership with:

 

Event Program
session image
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+1
Connect: Pizza & Networking
session image
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT+1
Innovation Showcase
session image
6:15 PM - 6:45 PM GMT+1
Workshop: Prototyping the Tofu Wakame Salad
session image
7:00 PM - 7:10 PM GMT+1
Welcome Remarks: VCL & Partners
session image
7:10 PM - 7:40 PM GMT+1
Panel: Gaining Early Proof for Your Healthtech Solution
Featuring
profile image
Livi Bickford-Smith
MedTech VC Investor with THENA Capital

Livi Bickford-Smith is a MedTech VC Investor with THENA Capital. Previously, as Associate Director for Pathway Transformation at AstraZeneca, she deployed digital health initiatives at scale in the NHS and international health systems. Livi helps early-stage medtech founders to navigate workflow integration, product adoption and routes to reimbursement

profile image
Jenni Dowley
CEO & Founder of Building Bones

Jenni Dowley is the CEO & Founder of Building Bones, a bone health and osteoporosis management platform. Jenni is a chartered musculoskeletal physiotherapist turned digital health entrepreneur with over 10 years of clinical experience. 

profile image
Gianpaolo Fusari
Head of Products & Platforms at the Helix Centre

Gianpaolo Fusari is an award-winning Industrial Designer with over 15 years’ experience in product design and development in healthcare. He is Head of Products & Platforms at the Helix Centre, Imperial College London, where he leads research in rehabilitation working alongside stroke survivors, clinicians and NHS partners developing technology that makes high quality rehabilitation continuous, personalised, and accessible. His current work focuses on OnTrack Rehab, a wearable-based stroke rehabilitation platform. 

profile image
Varaidzo (Vee) Mapunde
Co-Director at NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care

Varaidzo (Vee) Mapunde, Co-Director at NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care. Experienced in leadership roles, developing and implementing strategy as part of research programme grants for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in England. Vee provides guidance to innovators about needs-based solutions for the NHS. 

profile image
Dr Youssof Oskrochi
Head of Safety & Data Protection at Curistica

Dr Youssof Oskrochi is a public health physician with deep experience in designing, testing and deploying safe, compliant and impactful digital health services at scale. He is also the Head of Safety & Data Protection at Curistica, which builds and deploys “high stakes” health technology. 

profile image
Christine Siu
Co-Founder
Christine Siu is the Co-Founder of SHOKUDŌ, a culinary startup inspired by the warmth and simplicity of Japanese canteen culture. Passionate about the power of food to connect people, Christine brings a deep appreciation for Japanese cuisine and craftsmanship to SHOKUDŌ’s offerings. SHOKUDŌ, meaning \"canteen\" in Japanese, offers immersive pop-up experiences and premium bento boxes to exclusive supper clubs and curated event catering. Her mission is to celebrate everyday meals done well, creating moments of comfort and joy through honest, beautifully prepared food.
profile image
Isabel Van De Keere
Founder & Principal Innovation Consultant at Get Soaked Studio
Get Soaked Studio
profile image
Liam Ward
Director, Venture Café London
Venture Café London
Location
Loading map...