Connect with us

Science & Technology

Can AI fix the operating room? This startup thinks so | Equity Podcast

There’s plenty of hype around AI and robots in healthcare, but the problem that’s actually costing hospitals money right now is operating room coordination. Two to four hours of OR time is lost every single day, not because of the surgeries themselves, but because of everything in between from manual scheduling and coordination chaos to…

Published

on

There’s plenty of hype around AI and robots in healthcare, but the problem that’s actually costing hospitals money right now is operating room coordination. Two to four hours of OR time is lost every single day, not because of the surgeries themselves, but because of everything in between from manual scheduling and coordination chaos to guesswork about room turnover.

TechCrunch’s Equity podcast caught up with Conor McGinn, co-founder and CEO of Akara, the startup that recently landed a spot on Time’s Best Inventions of 2025 and is building what’s essentially air traffic control for hospitals using thermal sensors and AI.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

00:54 – Air traffic control for ORs

02:35 – Where hospitals lose hours daily

03:54 – Selling into risk-averse hospitals

06:21 – Thermal sensors and edge AI

09:11 – NHS as proof of concept

13:16 – The AI under the hood

18:12 – Privacy benefits of thermal

21:22 – Infrastructure before robots

Continue Reading
Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @podcast_growther

    December 26, 2025 at 1:42 am

    Hi TechCrunch Daily Crunch team, Merry Christmas 🎄
    I’m Tania — a professional digital marketer specializing in organic podcast growth and monetization. I follow TechCrunch Daily Crunch and value how you distill tech news into clear, insightful episodes.

    Today’s podcast space is highly competitive — many shows are already using strategic, organic growth methods to scale listeners, improve rankings, and unlock sponsorship opportunities. My approach focuses on real long-term audience engagement and authentic growth without bots or fake plays, helping strong podcasts become profitable brands.

    I’d love to discuss how this could take Daily Crunch further in audience reach and monetization.

    I don’t want to waste your valuable time or disturb you repeatedly. If you’re interested in my service, please feel free to continue; otherwise, just reply no and reach out whenever you need.

    — Tania

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Science & Technology

Inside the Fundraise l Build Mode

Startup fundraising is harder than ever, and Season 3 of Build Mode is here to help. Whether you’re raising a seed round, preparing for Series A, pitching venture capital firms, negotiating a term sheet, or exploring alternatives to VC funding, this season is packed with practical advice from founders and investors who have successfully navigated…

Published

on

Startup fundraising is harder than ever, and Season 3 of Build Mode is here to help. Whether you’re raising a seed round, preparing for Series A, pitching venture capital firms, negotiating a term sheet, or exploring alternatives to VC funding, this season is packed with practical advice from founders and investors who have successfully navigated the fundraising journey.
Hosted by TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen, Build Mode is the TechCrunch podcast where founders, investors, and startup operators share honest conversations about what it really takes to build and finance a company. This season features Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), Andrew Dai (Elorian), Ashley Tyrner-Dolce (FarmboxRx), Kristina Subbotina (Lexsy AI), Sydney Sykes (NVIDIA), Xavier Chi (Mbodi), Jack Groetzinger (SeatGeek), Sasha Orloff (Puzzle), Everette Taylor (Kickstarter), Manan Mehta (Unshackled Ventures), Julia Hartz (Eventbrite), and more. Together, they cover topics including avoiding down rounds, raising capital in today’s venture market, working with corporate venture capital, crowdfunding, startup financial readiness, fundraising as an immigrant founder, IPO lessons, and how to deliver a winning startup pitch.
If you’re an entrepreneur, startup founder, investor, or operator looking for actionable fundraising advice, this season is your playbook. New episodes begin July 9 and release every week on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe now and learn how to raise capital, grow your startup, and build with confidence.

Continue Reading

CNET

I Tried a $4,500 Robotic Exoskeleton and It Gave Me Super Ankles

The future of wearable tech isn’t just on your wrist—it’s on your legs. In this hands-on look, we test the Dephy Sidekick, a consumer-powered bionic footwear system designed to give you a literal boost with every step. At $4,500, this powered ankle exoskeleton claims to offload your calves and make walking effortlessly easy. Read more…

Published

on

The future of wearable tech isn’t just on your wrist—it’s on your legs. In this hands-on look, we test the Dephy Sidekick, a consumer-powered bionic footwear system designed to give you a literal boost with every step. At $4,500, this powered ankle exoskeleton claims to offload your calves and make walking effortlessly easy.

Read more about it on CNET.com
Nike’s New Robotic-Powered Footwear System: What to Know

0:00 Taking the Dephy Sidekick for a Walk
0:24 What is the Dephy Sidekick
1:13 Military Testing and Focusing on the Ankles
2:18 Is This a Growing Market?
2:49 Who Is Dephy Sidekick For?

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#exoskeletons #robotics #walkingaid

Continue Reading

CNET

Unboxing Belkin’s $50 Lilypad iPad Case

It may say 3+ but this one’s for the adults. 😅 And yes, this case did fit on the M3 iPad Air 🎉 #belkin #toystory5 #ts5 #lilypad #ipadcase Add CNET as a trusted news source Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉 Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront: Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:…

Published

on

It may say 3+ but this one’s for the adults. 😅 And yes, this case did fit on the M3 iPad Air 🎉 #belkin #toystory5 #ts5 #lilypad #ipadcase

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

Continue Reading

Trending