Stringent regulations for start-ups, imposed by various governments, hinders to the growth of start-ups.
I, recently, had a chat with Fabian Bolin, Co-founder, War on Cancer, a start-up, based in Sweden, on the Tech Trends show on Channels Television. Fabian, a cancer survivor, has created a platform to help other patients out of their ailments. He speaks on this, the Stockholm ecosystem, the need for having a conducive environment for start-ups to survive and thrive and lots more.
CFA: Fabian, glad to have you on the show.
Fabian: CFA, it’s awesome to be here. Thank you.
CFA: It’s great, seeing you, Welcome to Nigeria. The last time we met, was in Stockholm, but glad to have you in Nigeria.
Fabian: You know, it’s been great. When was it? Four months ago. Seems like a lifetime. A lot of things have happened for us, in positive ways. We continue to build the product, building the company.
We were on to the fund raising, just about the time that we met, at the ‘War on Cancer’, so, now, all I can say is that, it’s, definitely, moving forward.
CFA: Give us an overview of the healthcare sector, globally?
Fabian: Healthcare, traditionally, has been very much, focused on key single matrix and now, I’m speaking for healthcare, from my understanding and from where I have seen healthcare, so, the main matrix has been survival.
What’s happening, really, in essence, is that, healthcare, is making a transition, from being a production-focused type of industry, where the focus is, on survival, to a service-focused industry, where the key matrix is, patient satisfaction, where, of course, survival, is going to be one part of it; a big part, but not all of it.
CFA: And how do you think that, technology is influencing healthcare, in general?
Fabian: Healthcare today, or, healthcare institution is, basically, one part, of a wide range of different types of health solutions, which are all, revolving around patients. For instance, health apps, patients organisations, research organisations, pharmaceutical companies.
Before healthcare really starts to think of themselves, as a part of this ecosystem, we’re going to have this problem, where patients are not being satisfied, but certainly, within the health tax base, what we see is a search of different solutions and many of them, are patient-driven, as in, patients that have gone through things, acknowledge a need, or, a problem and then, build a solution from that need. Those types of solutions generate a lot of traction and they gain a lot of interest.
CFA: The Stockholm ecosystem. Tell us a little bit about it and how it’s faring?
Fabian: I think it’s a good ecosystem. It’s a good place for start-ups to be and a couple of reasons for that. I would say, the biggest reason why there are so many start-ups and entrepreneurs in Stockholm is because, we have quite a vast welfare system in place, which gives a lot of people, with good ideas, the confidence that they need, to take that leap out, to take that risk.
We know that, this is, of course, not the same in many countries, where you don’t have the same economic system……………….I wish that, our government will install something, along the line of a Start-up Minister, the way that, Canada just did. They brought in a Start-up Minister, went in and just removed 400 different regulations, in one go because, the President said, this is not, in any way, helpful for the start-ups.
You can watch the full interview here
