Interview
In conversation with
André Sommer
André Sommer is a physician-turned HealthTech entrepreneur who co-founded Cara Care, the digital therapeutic for digestive disorders later acquired by Bayer—experience that sharpened his focus on building evidence, reimbursement, and real-world use. Today he is co-founding a venture that applies AI to create agentic clinical workflows, targeting the administrative drag that keeps clinicians from patients. The north star is clear: let doctors spend time on complex decisions, research, and human connection—while technology quietly removes the rest.
Plan for a world where doctors focus on complex decisions, research, and meaningful time with patients. Use technology to remove friction in everything else.
Sommer’s operating view is pragmatic and system-aware: balance speed with safety in AI-era healthcare; move fast where risk is low and slow down where data sensitivity is high. He argues Europe’s digital health underperformance stems from misaligned incentives, complex rules, and uneven acceptance (e.g., DiGA), while consumers increasingly seek solutions outside regulated channels—raising the bar for responsible, explainable products. For founders, investors now scrutinize business model and go-to-market more than raw tech; if global scale is the goal, starting in the U.S. with European subsidiaries can be capital-efficient. Policy should pair innovation-friendly regulation with world-class technical infrastructure so credible companies can scale evidence-based tools across borders.
Lessons from AI-Enabled Clinical Workflows:
Reduce Friction, Earn Trust
What we cover
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How AI-driven “agentic” workflows can take routine work off clinicians’ plates while preserving judgment and empathy
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Why disciplined speed—knowing when to move fast vs. slow—builds trust with patients, regulators, and clinical leaders
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What really slows digital health in Europe—doctor incentives, insurer skepticism, regulatory complexity—and how to navigate it
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Where founders should look for scale—business-model fit and GTM clarity, potentially starting in the U.S. with EU subsidiaries
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Which policy moves matter most—lighter, innovation-ready rules plus top-tier infrastructure to attract long-term capital
Andre Sommer, born in Bonn in 1988, studied human medicine at the University of Bonn, including a stay at the Texas Heart Institute. His first entrepreneurial experience was launching and later selling an online magazine during medical school. Instead of pursuing a clinical career, he co-founded the digital health startup Cara Care right after graduation. Today, he is working on a new company focused on AI-based workflows that support doctors in their daily work.
About
André Sommer
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