The tech team at Twinery will step up inventions to boost health and wellness for global markets under my leadership, said Head of Product and Technology for Health and Wellness Solutions at Twinery (Innovation arm of MAS Holdings) and award winner Dr. Angelo Karunaratne in an interview with the Sunday Observer Business.
Q: How have you as a biomedical engineer and tech entrepreneur made contributions to enhance health and wellness at Twinery during your stint?
A: I am an experienced and passionate scientist and business/tech leader with over 12 years’ experience in scientific research (40 journal articles) and health and wellness product and disruptive business development (three patent applications).
Focused on developing sales and operational teams by building a shared vision and translating unmet market needs into successful and profitable solutions. Expertise in all aspects of health and wellness and fitness wearable product development from conception R&D to operations, launch and commercialisation for international markets, including regulatory compliance and creating solid strategies based on market opportunities. I work as Head of Product and Technology for Health and Wellness Solutionsat Twinery (Innovation arm of MAS Holdings).
In 2019, I gave technological leadership to Spryng, an FDA Class I sports-recovery product, integrated with wavetec, was launched in the USA via crowd funding platforms, Indiegogo and Kickstarter raising over USD 1m. Spryng went on to being granted the award for the “best start-up in the sports industry” at ISPO 2020. Spryng is a 100% owned B2C brand of Twinery which provides sports recovery solutions for athletes.
I obtained my first degree in Biomedical Engineering (MEng) in 2009 and PhD in Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterial Sciences in 2012 from Queen Mary University of London.
I returned to Sri Lanka in September 2015 and joined the University of Moratuwa as a senior lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department.
I obtained international funding from (NIHR grant Rs. 50,000,000) to initiate biomedical engineering PhD programs. I published more than 30 peer-reviewed articles including two Nature articles, two book chapters. The industry and academia recognised me as a top performer with ability to deliver under pressure in the area of research and development, operations, manufacturing and commercialisation.
For my contribution to scientific and technological development, I was awarded the Best Young Person in Sri Lanka award in 2017 which is a testimony to multidisciplinary skills he possesses.
I received the Outstanding Leadership Award award, at the health 2.0 conference, for my contribution to designing and developing innovations in the health and wellness spaces. The event was held in Dubai from March 23 to March 25.
Q: How do you see your recent accolade and its implications on your future plans for the organisation?
A: At Twinery, the team understands the intersection of form and function, with their world-class expertise in design, engineering and material sciences.
They specialise in next-to-skin solutions and innovating breakthrough textile led solutions by identifying the unmet needs of consumers.
In HealthTech, my tech team has researched and developed solutions that manage, recover and augment the human form. Circulation enhancement solutions, integrated with patented wavetec technology, have been designed, developed and commercialised with strategic business partners in the North American and European regions to either manage or improve recovery of consumers who have certain medical or non-medical circulation related conditions.
Circulation enhancement devices were functionally limited, bulky and not user-friendly which led to Twinery offering white-label, active pneumatic compression technology solutions that were scientifically validated, highly effective, portable and untethered. For circulation enhancement solutions in the medical space, my team has designed and developed an FDA Class II, 510K compliant product for lymphedema management.
I am proficient in developing sales and operational teams by building a shared vision and translating unmet market needs into successful and profitable solutions in the space of health and wellness pillar at MAS Holdings.
I have gained experience and reputation (Leadership award at Health 2.0) in all aspects of health and wellness and fitness wearable product development from conception R&D to operations, test launch, and commercialisation for international markets.
I am also competent in regulatory compliance and creating solid strategies based on market opportunities. I consider myself a good leader given my role in providing transformational leadership to over 30 Tech entrepreneurs, managing their training, career planning, and recognition.
As the HealthTech Lead, Biomedical Engineer, Scientific Researcher, Senior Visiting Lecturer, and Chartered Engineer, I have different expertise but with one clear vision of creating real impact.
Placing the consumer need at the heart of any development program enables the teams to provide solutions that would be comfortable, consumer-centric, convenient, cost-effective, scientifically validated and patient-compliant.