ThinkData Podcast

Today I’m joined by Dr Ewelina Kurtys, strategic advisor to FinalSpark, a company building computers powered by living human neurons.In simple terms, FinalSpark is exploring a new form of biocomputing that replaces silicon with real brain cells. This conversation dives into what that actually means, why it matters, and what it could unlock for the future of computation, energy efficiency, and AI.This is a genuinely mind-bending episode that sits at the intersection of neuroscience, computing, ethics, and deep tech innovation.Key Topics CoveredWhat FinalSpark is building and why biocomputing represents a radical shift from silicon-based systemsWhat drew Ewelina to FinalSpark’s mission and long-term visionEarly challenges in building a biocomputing platform and how close the company is to true product-market fitFeedback from early users and adopters working with neuron-based computingThe biggest technical and operational hurdles to scaling living neuron infrastructureHow FinalSpark differentiates itself in the emerging biocomputing spaceThe company’s long-term vision over the next 5 to 10 years and how it plans to fund and execute that roadmapWhy This Episode MattersBiocomputing is no longer science fiction. As traditional computing approaches physical and energy limits, FinalSpark is exploring an entirely new paradigm. This episode offers a rare, grounded look at what it really takes to turn breakthrough science into a commercial platform.

Today’s guest is Edmund Ben-Ami, CEO of NeuraLight — the company using AI and a simple webcam to radically improve how neurological diseases are measured.NeuraLight’s eye-tracking technology is already being deployed in clinical trials, where it has shown the ability to be up to 10× more sensitive than existing neurological assessment tools.In this conversation, we explore how AI-driven biomarkers are reshaping neurology, the realities of working with pharma and clinical trial teams, and what it takes to build and scale a scientifically rigorous healthtech company.This episode is a deep dive into where AI meets neuroscience, and why better data could change patient outcomes at scale.🎯 Key Topics CoveredThe original vision behind NeuraLight and how it has evolvedBalancing scientific rigour with commercial scale in healthtechHow pharma and clinical trial teams are using NeuraLight todayThe realities of deploying AI inside hospitals and trialsWhat “success” looks like in neurological biomarkers over the next 3–5 years

On this week’s ThinkData Podcast, I sat down with Chandini Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of Auquan.After seven years in finance, from derivatives trading to risk analytics at Deutsche Bank, Chandini made the bold decision to leave the world of corporate stability to build Auquan. Today, the company is helping financial institutions use AI to extract meaning, insight, and structure from the huge volumes of data they rely on.We talked through:The origin of Auquan and the moment the idea clickedWhy AI is so challenging to deploy in financeThe dynamics of co-founding a company with a siblingHow Auquan’s mission evolved as they learned more about customer pain pointsThe values guiding her leadership styleA sharp, honest discussion on building in one of the most demanding industries.

In this episode of the ThinkData Podcast, I sat down with Nell Meosky Luo, CEO and Co-Founder of Folia Health, a health-tracking platform redefining how chronic and rare conditions are monitored and understood.Folia was born from a deeply personal experience within Nell’s own family, where traditional healthcare systems failed to capture the nuance of day-to-day patient life. Today, Folia turns those everyday observations into structured, research-ready data that clinicians, researchers, and families can actually act on.We explore:• The founding story and how personal lived experience shaped Folia’s mission• What makes Folia different from traditional patient-tracking or EPRO tools• Why AI is only as powerful as the underlying data, and how Folia closes the real-world data gap• How the team has scaled headcount and capability following their Series A• How Mosaic is giving patients unprecedented control over research participation• The future of AI-driven, patient-led insightsThis conversation is a must-listen for anyone working in digital health, AI, chronic condition management, or patient-reported outcomes.

Today I’m joined by Henry O’Connell, CEO & Founder of Canary Speech, the company pioneering AI-powered vocal biomarkers to detect diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurological and behavioural conditions, all through a 20–30 second voice sample.In this episode, we explore:How Canary Speech was founded and where the idea came fromWhy holding 14 patents in vocal biomarker technology is such a competitive advantageHow Canary ensures clinical-grade safety, trust, and bias mitigation in AI healthcare toolsThe latest innovations in aggression detection, neurological disorders & behavioural healthHow global regulation (U.S. vs Europe vs Asia) shapes adoption speed in healthcare AIIf you’re interested in AI, healthcare, digital biomarkers, clinical innovation, or the future of diagnostics, this episode is a must-listen.