Wes Jones is the CEO of Vonova, a brain computer interface company that (unlike Neuralink) is enabling access to the brain without drilling a hole in your skull.
Wes joins Brom Rector and Sam Tabone to discuss:
(1:25) - how Wes got into neuro, background as a catheter engineer
(6:30) - how Wes’s parachute malfunction and resulting paralysis made him focused on the brain
(10:30) - how Wes met his cofounder
(14:00) - Wes demonstrating how his device treats chronic subdural hematoma
(18:00) - ancient Peruvian history of brain surgery + the problem of the skull
(22:30) - how does Vonova’s device actually work
(26:00) - Wes’s encounter with Lawrence Livermore National Labs
(28:00) - how Vonova is different than Neuralink
(35:00) - how Vonova could treat chronic pain
(38:00) - could Vonova’s device be used for Neurodegenerative disease
(41:00) - how long does Vonova's device stay implanted?
(43:00) - Wes’s fundraising journey - the challenges of medtech
(47:30) - why wes is excited about drug device combos and a primer on the blood brain barrier + how Vonova could be used for drug delivery
(53:00) - could Vonova’s device be used for brain stimulation
(56:20) - how Vonova’s device could help “solve” the brain + digital twins
(1:00:00) - Wes’s experience as a CEO + his first employee living on his couch for a year
(1:05:00) - does Wes think you need an MBA to start a company (hot take)
(1:08:00) - San Diego