Zonova – How One Founder Turned a Single Conversation into a Medtech Mission

Joan Abebe
May 21
2 min read

Founder spotlight with Georgia Fleet, CEO of Zonova

Sometimes, the idea for a business comes from a big, bold vision. Sometimes, it comes from a single frustrating conversation. For Georgia, it was the latter. A stark chat with an ICU doctor revealed a deadly irony: patients were dying from infections caused by everyday medical devices meant to help them, like catheters and ventilator tubing.

“It seemed ridiculous to me that people were dying as a result of secondary infections whilst in hospital,” she says. “And with the antimicrobial resistance crisis looming, we have fewer and fewer treatment options.”

That’s how Zonova was born. The company is developing a new kind of antimicrobial technology that’s built directly into medical devices, reducing infection risk without the use of antibiotics.

Getting it off the ground (with a lot of no’s)

Launched March 2023, Zonova bootstrapped for over a year before closing its first round of funding after facing "too early" feedback – common in medtech.

“We initially faced challenges due to the high-risk nature of med-tech (forever being told we were 'too early'). “The process involved more rejection than I can count, but ultimately led to where we are today.”

Learning how to lead

As a first-time founder, Georgia is refreshingly honest about not knowing everything. But she turned that into a strength by surrounding herself with experienced mentors and always staying eager to learn.

“I'm not a seasoned CEO, and I admit that! I've done my best to surround myself with incredible people, absorb their knowledge to the best of my ability, and I've not been afraid to seek out advice when needed.”

Essential Support from Hive Founders

Zonova’s journey has been shaped by the communities it's plugged into, starting with Hive Founders.

“We were right at the beginning when we joined Hive, and it gave us the structure we needed. “For me, having Caroline help me through the first iterations of my financial projections (which were driving me mad!!) was really key for me”.

From there, Zonova also joined vHive (focused on animal health) and the SEC Innovators Club (focused on human health), giving the team a broad network of insight and advice across sectors.

Lessons for Fellow Female Founders in Biotech

IP & Timelines: Read contracts carefully and triple your estimated timelines.
Network & Simplify: Talk to strangers for unexpected advice; make complex ideas personal and clear.
Lean Into Stubborn Creativity: “Scarcity drives creativity. When people said things wouldn’t work, I gave them a go anyway. That’s how my first invention came about.”
Women in MedTech: Own the Room: “Don’t let people intimidate you. You deserve to be there just as much as anyone else.”