Rick Rowan is the CEO and founder of NuroKor Bioelectronics, a startup harnessing bioelectronic technology for pain management, physical recovery and enhanced athletic performance. NuroKor technology is now used by doctors, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and patients around the globe, along with Olympic athletes to manage their physical recovery. This is an extract from his interview (https://www.uktech.news/news/founder-interviews/nurokor-bioelectronics-founder-20221021).
What funding advice would you give to a first-time founder?
As a first-time founder, building real relationships with investors is crucial. Don’t just see them as cash sources – investors are real people with unique experiences, strong networks and little patience for founders who interact with them in a one-way, transactional manner. You should start building investor relationships long before you intend to start raising.
What are the best and worst parts of your job?
Managing people to a high standard is incredibly challenging; you have to really put the effort in to get the best from people and build a culture that is representative of your personal and company values. On the flip side, accepting that people come and go, and that not everyone is going to stay at the company forever, can be upsetting.
What’s the most misunderstood technology?
There’s a real lack of understanding surrounding bioelectronic or bioelectrical technologies. People don’t tend to realise that bioelectronic devices are already in widespread use: from cochlear hearing devices, to pacemaker and spinal cord stimulators.
These devices are not something to be wary of; they have so much untapped potential to form part of integrated solutions that could transform the way we treat diabetes, inflammatory diseases like arthritis, and even gut health.