Medical innovation often celebrates breakthrough science, but groundbreaking technology only changes lives when patients and clinicians can actually access it. The greatest innovations are not only effective–they are practical, scalable, and built for real-world care.

For Franco Kraiselburd, founder and CEO of Asclepii, innovation begins with a simple question: how can existing medical technology reach more people? Rather than pursuing increasingly complex solutions, Franco has built his company around making advanced wound care easier to use, more affordable, and available earlier in the treatment process. His philosophy is simple: make advanced care available sooner, so more patients can benefit before wounds become more difficult to treat.

Learning from pioneers while building something new

Franco's journey into medical technology began long before launching his company. As a teenager, he worked in a stem cell laboratory, where he gained firsthand exposure to regenerative medicine while working alongside renowned stem cell researcher Arnold Kaplan. That experience shaped both his scientific foundation and entrepreneurial mindset. While groundbreaking therapies could transform patient outcomes, many never achieved widespread adoption because they were too difficult or expensive to scale. Rather than creating increasingly complex technologies, Franco focused on making proven science more practical for everyday care. As Franco explained, "The science is there, we just need to make it more available." That philosophy became the foundation for Asclepii's mission to develop wound care products that combine clinical performance with simplicity, helping providers intervene earlier while expanding patient access.

Building products around accessibility

Instead of competing through increasingly complex technologies, Asclepii has built its approach around usability and accessibility. The company's first commercial product, Poseidon, was designed to become an everyday tool for clinicians treating wounds rather than a specialized therapy reserved for later stages of care. By combining strong clinical performance with a simple, easy-to-use design, Poseidon helps providers integrate advanced wound care into routine practice without adding unnecessary complexity. Early customer adoption has reinforced that strategy, demonstrating that practical solutions can drive meaningful clinical impact. As Asclepii continues expanding its product portfolio, the same philosophy remains at the center of every innovation: develop technologies that deliver strong outcomes while making advanced care more accessible to providers and patients alike.

Leading with vision instead of certainty

Building an early-stage medical device company requires balancing confidence with humility. Franco openly acknowledges that startups rarely have every answer from the beginning. Instead, successful founders must continuously learn, adapt, and surround themselves with experienced advisors who challenge assumptions and strengthen decision-making. Rather than presenting investors with a rigid roadmap, Franco focuses on communicating a larger mission centered on transforming wound care through accessibility and simplicity. As he described it, "You're funding a revolution." For him, attracting people who believe in that long-term vision matters more than convincing everyone to agree.

That vision is also reflected in how he approaches entrepreneurship. Franco encourages founders to stay flexible, recognize when an idea needs to change, and surround themselves with people willing to challenge their thinking. As he advises, "Know when to say no." Whether turning down the wrong investment, pivoting away from an unsuccessful idea, or choosing a better opportunity, he believes disciplined decision-making is just as important as ambition.

Why this matters

Medical technology often advances through incremental improvements, but Franco believes some healthcare challenges require a fundamentally different approach. Instead of asking how to make existing products slightly better, innovators should ask how to make effective care available to significantly more patients. For entrepreneurs, that perspective offers an important lesson. Commercial success depends not only on scientific novelty but also on manufacturability, affordability, scalability, and understanding how products fit into everyday clinical practice. The greatest opportunities often come from making proven technologies easier to adopt, easier to manufacture, and easier for clinicians to integrate into routine care.

What to watch

As Asclepii expands beyond its first commercial product, Franco remains focused on redefining standards of care through accessible innovation. His journey is a reminder that transformative healthcare solutions are not always the most complicated. Sometimes the biggest breakthrough is making proven science simpler, more scalable, and easier for providers to use every day.

To learn more, listen to the full Project MedTech Podcast episode with Franco Kraiselburd, Founder and CEO of Asclepii: https://www.projectmedtech.com/projectmedtechpodcast/episode/2b3da80f/episode-270-franco-kraiselburd-founder-ceo-asclepii-reimagining-wound-care-through-accessible-innovation