Imagine a world where allergy testing wasn’t a day-long ordeal but a streamlined, efficient process. That’s the vision Chris Harder, CTO of Kenota Health, shared with The MIDI Innovation Vault. We dove deep into Kenota’s journey, a story that’s less about groundbreaking scientific discoveries and more about a fundamental shift in perspective: putting the customer, the allergist, and the patient firmly at the center of innovation.

From Lab to Real Life:
Chris’s path to MedTech wasn’t a straight line. With a doctorate in biochemistry and a knack for hands-on engineering, he found himself drawn to the practical side of science. “I really enjoyed the engineering part of the science,” he told me, reminiscing about building custom lab equipment and diving into the intricacies of PCR and microscopy. This passion led him to Spartan Bioscience and, eventually, Kenota Health.

Kenota’s story began with a simple yet powerful observation: allergy diagnostics were broken. The process was slow, cumbersome, and frustrating for doctors and patients. When Chris joined the team, he brought a crucial insight: “You have to start with the problem and the customer, and then you make the technical solution fit the problem and the customer.”

The Art of Strategic Simplicity:
This customer-first philosophy wasn’t just lip service. Kenota threw out the existing playbook and started from scratch. They didn’t have a revolutionary new technology waiting for a problem to solve; they had a real-world problem and a mission to find the most efficient solution.

One of the biggest hurdles was navigating the complex landscape of medical device development. Chris explained how they strategically chose their battles. Instead of reinventing the wheel with a novel sample type or a new clinical algorithm, they focused on simplifying existing processes. They went from lab-based testing to point-of-care, from plasma to whole blood finger-stick, and from manual to fully automated systems.

“We chose our battles,” Chris said, “and ensured that it met the customer’s needs all along.” This meant understanding the allergist’s daily workflow, their pain points, and their desire for a solution that would empower their practice, not complicate it. They recognized that allergists were being squeezed from all sides, so Kenota made a system that would make their jobs easier and more accurate.

Navigating the Funding Maze:
Of course, innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Chris candidly shared the financial realities of MedTech startups. “It’s very hard as a diagnostic company to find someone willing to give you that much money,” he admitted, referring to the hefty costs of regulatory approvals and commercialization. Kenota’s approach was to make it “real enough at each stage to unlock the next round of funding.”

This meant demonstrating tangible progress at every step, from early prototypes to clinical validation and pilot-scale manufacturing. They had to align their technology development with investor expectations, paint a compelling vision, and deliver on their promises.

The Future of Allergy Diagnostics:
Kenota Health’s story is a testament to the power of customer-centric innovation. By putting the needs of allergists and patients first, they’re poised to revolutionize allergy diagnostics. They’ve proven that sometimes, the most groundbreaking innovations aren’t about inventing something entirely new but about simplifying and improving what already exists.

As we continue to explore the frontiers of MedTech on the MIDI Innovation Vault podcast, we’re reminded that true innovation is about more than just technology; it’s about understanding the human element and creating solutions that make a real difference. And that’s precisely what Kenota Health is doing.

For more in-depth conversation with Chris check out our conversation with him below: