NGBiPlus S2.E1: Cortex Design

Join host Jim Wilson for a conversation with Dylan Horvath who is founder and principal of Cortex Design in Toronto, Ontario. Cortex helps MedTech teams take medical devices from early concept through to commercialization, with a focus on designing for real users and the full set of stakeholders who influence adoption. Dylan shares how a childhood obsession with robotics led him into systems design engineering, then into industrial design, and ultimately into building Cortex into a specialized MedTech practice. They talk about the high-stakes Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE experience, what it taught the team about focus and execution, and why usability, workflow, and practical realities like cleaning and procurement can determine whether a device succeeds in the market. This episode offers a clear look at what it takes to turn complex ideas into viable, commercial medical products and the potentual pitfalls of the entrepreneurial journey.