From Prototype to Product: The PEBBLE Journey and Lessons from Building a MedTech Startup

#electronics #development #biosensors #biotechnology #dna #estonia #career-development

We are pleased to announce an upcoming open technical webinar focusing on one of the most critical and challenging transitions in medical technology innovation: turning an early-stage prototype into a certified, manufacturable, and scalable medical product.

In this talk, Dr. Alexandros K. Pantazis will share firsthand insights from the development of PEBBLE, a portable medical platform that originated as a research concept and ultimately became an IVD CE-certified diagnostic device. The journey from laboratory prototype to market-ready product required navigating a complex landscape of engineering trade-offs, regulatory constraints, manufacturing realities, and business decisions—lessons that are highly relevant to today’s MedTech and Biotech innovators.

🔬 Webinar Focus

This webinar will highlight:

• Common pitfalls and bottlenecks in early-stage MedTech development

• How engineering decisions directly influence regulatory pathways

• Structuring product development processes for certification and scale-up

• Converting technical prototypes into user-centered, commercially viable medical devices

The talk is particularly relevant for engineers, researchers, young professionals, and entrepreneurs who aspire to translate academic or early R&D ideas into real-world medical products. Attendees will gain practical insights into the roadmap from concept to commercial readiness, grounded in real industrial experience.

👤 Speaker Bio

Alexandros K. Pantazis was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He studied Physics at the University of Crete (1998–2002) and received his MSc in Microelectronics–Optoelectronics in 2004. He began his career as a Process Engineer at FORTH before completing a diploma and PhD in Biotechnology at the University of Crete, focusing on biosensors for clinical and environmental applications.

He later joined the University of Michigan as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, where he worked on pressure sensors, opto- and microfluidic chips for medical and biological applications. Returning to FORTH in 2015, he contributed to the development of wearable and portable systems combining sensors, microengineering, and 3D printing technologies.

In 2019, he co-founded BIOPIX DNA Technology, where he served for four years as Head of Product R&D Engineering and Production, leading the development of diagnostic platforms for infectious diseases. He is currently a Senior Product Engineering Scientist and Project / Production Manager at FORTH, working on smart insoles, point-of-care platforms, sensors, and microengineering production.

Dr. Pantazis earned a second MSc in Supply Chain Management in 2024 to further strengthen his expertise in production and manufacturing. He has authored more than 35 scientific publications, holds three patents, and has developed five fully operational diagnostic and agricultural platforms, two of which are currently on the market.

📅 Date & Registration

Via the link in the event. Registration is free and open, and the webinar will take place in Microsoft Teams.