FITM: The Full Conversation with Robert Cohen

Send us Fan MailRobert Cohen has spent four decades on both sides of the MedTech table — founding companies, selling them, and now evaluating billion-dollar acquisitions as Stryker's VP of Innovation and Technology for Orthopedics. In this conversation, he shares exactly what a global company looks for when it decides whether a startup's technology is worth acquiring.Cohen's career reads like a timeline of modern orthopedic innovation. He co-founded Implex, the company behind trabecular metal, which was acquired by Zimmer. He then built a 3D printing company that worked closely with Mako Surgical, and when Stryker acquired Mako in what became one of its most successful acquisitions, Cohen came with it — returning to Stryker 23 years after he'd originally left. That rare vantage point, having been the founder pitching and the executive evaluating, shapes every insight in this episode.From the reimbursement pressures reshaping which innovations get funded, to why founder ego can quietly kill an acquisition, to the 15-minute pitch structure that actually gets a company's attention, this is a conversation for anyone building a medical device and wondering what happens when a big company comes knocking. Cohen also looks ahead at where he'd put $10 million today and why the convergence of digital, AI, and enabling technology makes this the most exciting era in orthopedic innovation.⏱️ Chapters:00:00 Four decades of MedTech innovation at Stryker01:29 From startup founder to global acquisition leader04:29 How Stryker evaluates technology for acquisition05:38 Reimbursement challenges in medical device innovation09:35 Assessing MedTech startups at different stages12:11 Rising patient expectations and implant engineering15:18 Why C corporation structure matters for startups17:44 How founder ego affects acquisition negotiations20:25 What large companies look for in acquisition targets24:07 Post-acquisition integration and retaining talent29:08 How Mako changed orthopedic robotics at Stryker34:36 Where to invest $10 million in MedTech today38:17 The 15-minute pitch that gets a company's attentionListen to the AHF Podcast on your preferred platform:Buzzsprout: https://ahfpodcast.buzzsprout.comApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ahf-podcast/id1749521487Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CrGJyvRiQFTCU3FFFVvHcLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ahf-podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anteriorhipfoundationHomepage: https://anteriorhipfoundation.comThis podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only.The content discussed does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional judgment. Clinicians should rely on their own training, experience, and clinical decision-making when applying information from this discussion.#AnteriorHipFoundation #AHFPodcast #RobertCohen #Stryker #MakoRobotics #MedTechStartup #OrthopedicInnovation #MedicalDeviceAcquisition #TrabecularMetal #RoboticSurgery #3DPrinting #TotalJointReplacement #MedTechInvestment