Scott Wolf of Aerin Medical
An exclusive Tech Tribune Q&A with Scott Wolf (founder) of Aerin Medical, which was honored in our:
Tell us the origin story of Aerin Medical – what problem were you trying to solve and why?
The idea for Aerin Medical came from helping my son, who was playing lacrosse in middle school at the time. He was complaining of trouble breathing during the game so I tried to figure out why. What I found was that he had some nasal obstruction and that wearing a nasal strip during the game really helped. This led me to explore why the nasal strips worked and to speak with ENT (ear, nose and throat) physicians about nasal obstruction and other common complaints that bring people into their offices. Ultimately, we set out to build advanced technologies and non-invasive treatment options that address chronic nasal conditions, such as nasal obstruction and chronic rhinitis, to help people breathe easier. When you can breathe easily and fully through your nose, it can change your quality of life. We started Aerin Medical like many Silicon Valley startups – in an actual garage.
Now we offer ENT physicians a portfolio of non-invasive, office-friendly products to fill the unmet needs of people suffering from chronic nasal airway conditions. The company’s first products, VivAer® for treating nasal airway obstruction and RhinAer® for treating chronic rhinitis, are FDA-cleared and commercially available in the United States. Using temperature-controlled radiofrequency technology, these treatments enable ENT physicians to effectively and comprehensively treat nasal airway conditions under local anesthesia with minimal to no downtime for patients.
What was the biggest hurdle you encountered in your journey?
As is typical for any MedTech company starting out, our challenge was demonstrating that our idea was safe and effective. We were able to build a prototype fairly inexpensively and raise enough money to successfully begin clinical trials on patients.
What does the future hold for Aerin Medical?
I believe Aerin Medical’s unique radiofrequency technology will become a standard procedure of ENT practice and continue to help people breathe easier and find relief from their chronic nasal symptoms. With non-invasive technology that is clinically shown to be safe and effective, we’re proving to be the leader in this growing space. I’m excited to get VivAer and RhinAer into the hands of even more physicians, as it truly has the potential to change the industry and improve patient care. We continue to explore options to innovate and expand upon our current platform.
What are your thoughts on the local tech startup scene in Sunnyvale?
Sunnyvale is a great place to start a MedTech company. We were able to hire great people with MedTech experience and find all the contractors and resources we needed locally.
What’s your best advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Keep your personal burn rate low so you can weather the inevitable highs and lows of starting a company with minimal stress. Also, drown out the doubt in your head. Once you have decided that your idea is worth doing, then confidently take steps to make it happen. A favorite quote I like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs is this: “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”