Julio Alonso, specialist physician in Intensive Care Medicine and founder of Airway Shield.

In this conversation, we explore the origin of Airway Shield, a medical device designed to facilitate intubation, reduce complications, and improve safety for both healthcare professionals and patients. Julio shares the long, complex, and demanding journey involved in taking a medical device from the initial idea to the market: from clinical validation and regulation to technological development, intellectual property protection, and fundraising.

He also reflects on the importance of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the resilience required to build in healthtech and the role that initiatives such as the ONE Platform can play in accelerating the creation or scaling of innovative healthcare solutions.

Keep reading and watch the video at the end of the page to learn in detail about the experience and perspective of Julio Alonso, specialist physician in Intensive Care Medicine and founder of Airway Shield.

Airway Shield was created to improve a medical procedure as common as intubation. At what point did you identify that there was a real problem in this process and that it could become an innovative solution?

The idea came from my direct experience working in environments where intubation is a critical and, at the same time, extremely difficult maneuver. In out-of-hospital emergencies —helicopters, airplanes, or mobile units— you have very limited resources and still need to act quickly and precisely. That is when you realize that, although intubation is one of the most frequent procedures in medicine, the way it is performed could be greatly improved.

I observed that we were using tools that did not provide adequate guidance to direct the tube toward the vocal cords and that also failed to protect the patient’s teeth and mucosa. In addition, healthcare professionals were exposed to aerosols, something that had always been relevant, but which became an absolute priority with the arrival of the pandemic. That combination of factors made me think that there had to be a safer and more efficient way to do it.

With that motivation, I began conceptualizing a device that would make the maneuver easier and provide additional protection. After months of work and prototypes, the idea took shape and has now become a real product, with tangible results and the potential to transform the procedure in multiple settings.

Bringing an idea into the medical device field involves clinical validation, regulation, and technological development. What has the journey been like from the initial concept to the device you are developing today?

The journey has been much longer and more complex than I imagined at the beginning. When I started in 2020, I thought that within one or two years we could have the device on the market, but medical devices require much greater maturity, evidence, and review. It has been almost six years of design, prototyping, preclinical testing, clinical studies, manufacturing, certification, and regulatory work across different territories.

In the early stages, I financed everything with my own resources, which was a challenge in itself. Later, we managed to combine public and private funding, each with its own requirements and processes. The effort has been enormous, both technically and financially, but also tremendously enriching. Each phase has forced us to improve the product, make strategic decisions, and build something truly solid.

Despite the difficulty, it has been an incredibly valuable journey, full of learning. The key has been believing in the project even when timing and resources were working against us. That conviction is what has allowed us to move forward to where we are now.

In healthcare, building trust is essential to attract investment and establish partnerships. What steps have you taken to build that credibility around Airway Shield, from clinical validation to intellectual property protection?

The first step was building a team capable of taking on such a demanding project. Without a team with talent and sound judgment, it is impossible to move forward. From there, we relied on strategic partners who bring prestige and guarantees: hospitals collaborating on validations, specialized regulatory agencies, and entities managing our patent and its international extensions.

We have always wanted to do things properly, step by step. We carried out preclinical studies in controlled settings, then clinical studies in leading hospitals, while advancing in parallel on all regulatory requirements, both for CE marking in Europe and for the FDA in the United States. In addition, we developed a strong patent, protecting a solution that had not previously existed.

In every funding round we have demonstrated real progress: patent extensions, clinical milestones, validations, technical improvements, team expansion. … I believe that transparency and consistency have been essential to building trust and attracting the right partners.

Building a company in the healthcare sector often involves longer development cycles than in other technology fields. What have been the main challenges you have had to overcome so far?

The biggest challenge has been staying alive throughout an extremely long process. A medical device takes, on average, seven years to reach the market, and many more to achieve real adoption. That implies a huge investment of time, energy, and financial resources.

To sustain that journey, we need continuous funding, very careful decision-making, and precise planning. You have to prioritize, minimize mistakes, and be willing to correct course if necessary. At the same time, you have to show constant progress to investors, partners, and regulatory bodies.

Another major challenge is implementation. It is not enough to reach the market: you have to prove that the device works, that it adds value, that it improves outcomes, and that it deserves the trust of those who will use it. Convincing professionals with years of experience is not easy, but when they see the real impact, progress is enormous.

You are currently promoting a funding round through crowdfunding. Why did you decide to bet on this model to drive the project’s growth?

We chose crowdfunding through Capital Cell because it combines two key elements: rigor and democratization. Capital Cell is a highly specialized healthcare platform, with demanding evaluation processes that provide great credibility. At the same time, it allows anyone to participate in the project, even if they are not an institutional investor.

For us, it makes perfect sense to combine this approach with the participation of lead investors, who provide additional security and early validation. It is a model that has proven to work very well: in 2021 we completed the round in 24 hours, and the next one in 2023 closed in just ten days. That confirmed to us that there was interest, trust, and a clear understanding of the project’s value.

In addition, I think it is wonderful that the community can be part of something that has the potential to save lives. We feel that this combination of professional investors and individual participants creates a strong network around the project.

Innovation in healthcare has the potential for global impact. How are you approaching Airway Shield’s international expansion, and in which markets do you see the greatest opportunities?

Our goal is to reach the whole world, and to achieve that we have designed a model focused on what we do best: research, development, and patent management. We outsource manufacturing and distribution through regional partners, which allows us to scale quickly without compromising quality.

We already have production in Australia and Taiwan and are looking to add centers in Europe and the Americas. Although we want global reach, the North American market is a priority because of its size and its focus on safety. For example, tooth damage during intubation accounts for 30% of anesthesia claims there, and we have shown that our device drastically reduces pressure on the incisors. Once we validate these results in patients in the U.S., we believe adoption will be very rapid.

After that, we will continue expanding across Europe and other markets where intubation safety is a priority. Our goal is for the device to be available even in remote or lower-resource settings, because it can make a major difference.

Building in healthtech means balancing scientific knowledge, business vision, and a great deal of resilience. On a personal level, what key lessons has this process taught you as a founder, and what advice would you give to those starting a project in the healthcare field?

Over these years, I have learned that building in healthcare is a constant combination of science, strategy, patience, and emotional strength.

The first thing I learned was how to work as a team: to look for people who complemented my abilities, who could bring technical, regulatory, business, and clinical perspectives. A project like this cannot be carried forward by one person alone, no matter how much expertise they may have in their field.

I have also learned to live with uncertainty. In healthtech, cycles are very long: you can spend years developing, validating, and regulating a device before having the opportunity to see real results. That requires a great deal of resilience and, above all, clarity of purpose. For me, reminding myself every day why I do this —because I believe improving endotracheal intubation can save thousands of lives— has been essential to keep moving forward even in the most difficult moments.

If I had to give one piece of advice, I would say two things. The first: fall in love with the problem, not the solution. Solutions evolve, adapt, and change; but if you are in love with the problem —in my case, making a critical procedure safer and more effective— you will always find the motivation to improve. The second: surround yourself with good people and look for an ecosystem that supports you. In healthcare, having a brilliant idea is not enough: you need clinical validation, regulation, funding, guidance, and resilience for the long journey. If you accept that it is a marathon and not a sprint, and if you enjoy the learning process, the journey is worth it.

Initiatives such as the ONE Platform seek to connect entrepreneurs, innovation, and opportunities within the ecosystem. From your experience, what value can these kinds of spaces bring to startups like Airway Shield?

I firmly believe that the ecosystem is one of the most decisive factors in whether a startup survives. You may have a powerful idea and a strong team, but if you are isolated and without connections, the journey becomes much more difficult. Startups often fail not because they do not have a valid solution, but because they cannot find the support, partners, or resources they need to move forward in time.

Initiatives such as the ONE Platform help break that isolation. They create spaces where it is possible to connect with investors, public institutions, potential technology partners, regulatory experts, and other startups going through similar challenges. These connections shorten timelines, open doors, and make possible conversations that otherwise could take months to happen —or might never happen at all.

In our case, participating in events and platforms such as ONE has been very valuable. Recently, at gatherings such as Web Summit, we met key people in the ecosystem who have given us perspective, contacts, and real support. These kinds of spaces strengthen the innovation fabric, support the survival of startups in a sector as demanding as healthcare, and ultimately contribute to a more innovative society with better solutions for people.