The Purse Podcast
Dr Georgia Fleet is a scientist turned entrepreneur on a mission to tackle one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: hospital-acquired infections. She founded Zonova on International Women's Day in 2023 and is as CEO & Co-Founder. A materials scientist by training, Georgia spotted how medical devices drive hospital infections, and how few commercial solutions exist to address it. Three years on, the company's Z-ROS® antimicrobial materials platform is in active commercial discussions with global device manufacturers to make hospital-acquired infections a problem of the past. Georgia is a 2024/25 Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award winner, named Most Disruptive at Women in Tech EU 2025 and was listed #1 in TechRound's Top 50 Women in Startups & Tech in 2026 - recognising her commitment to impact, innovation, and women in STEM. We cover the following in our conversation: 01:59 Why hospital infections persist 04:40 Breakthrough: The "aha" moment 06:50 Pivot to platform model 08:25 Founder market fit 11:05 Fundraising reality check 17:20 Pitching platform and hiring CCO 19:43 Women investors 27:30 Fundraising experience 30:06 IP and impact strategy 31:44 Looking ahead: Ten year vision 33:51 Advice for new women investors 36:38 Final thoughts
169 episodes
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