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#155 When Innovation Markets Itself with Almog Aley-Raz & Hila Peleg

Today we’re speaking with Almog Aley-Raz and Hila Peleg. Almog is the CEO of CorNeat Vision, where he leads groundbreaking innovations to combat corneal blindness, drawing on a career that spans Israel’s Air Force, global leadership roles in biometrics, and medical technology entrepreneurship. Hila is a strategic marketing consultant and co-founder of Marketit, a boutique agency that helps startups in digital health and beyond transform complex ideas into clear, growth-driven strategies. In this episode, we dive into the intersection of healthcare innovation and marketing, exploring how visionary leadership and sharp strategy can bring life-changing medical solutions to the world.
“We can do so much more with much less people and working hours and it actually touches every aspect of our work.” -Almog Aley-Raz
“With early-stage medical startups, the marketer role will be to help with fundraising and shape the narrative.” -Hila Peleg

About the Episode

Welcome to our deep dive into the latest episode of the NTM Growth Marketing podcast. This post transcribes and expands upon the lively, insightful conversations between two leaders in the space: Almog Aley-Raz, a trailblazing medtech CEO, and Hila Peleg, founder of a boutique marketing agency for startups. Whether you work in health tech, marketing, or simply want to understand how marketing is transforming in an AI-powered, highly regulated world, you’re in the right place.

We’ll unpack breakthroughs in artificial cornea technology, explore the real-world impact of AI on medical startups, and compare how marketing strategies differ in various industries and countries—through the experiences of each guest. The blog preserves the original tone: candid, conversational, full of practical stories and clear language. Let’s jump in!

Introducing Our Guests

Almog Aley-Raz is the CEO and current VP of R&D at an artificial cornea medtech startup. He has a background in Israel’s high-tech industry (including speech recognition and voice biometrics) and now leads the development and commercialization of cutting-edge ophthalmic devices.

Hila Peleg is the co-founder of MARKTIT, a boutique marketing agency for medical and digital health startups. With over 20 years’ experience in the field, Hila has witnessed the transformation of medical marketing from print to digital to AI-led approaches.

Part 1: Almog Aley-Raz – Driving MedTech Innovation

The Power of Innovative MedTech: Artificial Corneas

The podcast opens with a conversation that embodies the spirit of medtech innovation:

“Before we hit record, you shared something that I love to hear, which is that what you’re working on is so innovative, it markets itself.”

At the center is a company tackling blindness with breakthrough technology—a synthetic cornea that eliminates the need for donor tissue. Imagine a patient who hasn’t seen anything for a decade. After surgery, the bandages come off, and suddenly they’re reading. That’s not just disruptive—it’s life-changing.

The Story Behind the Product

Almog shares his journey: leaving Israel’s thriving high-tech scene for medtech, drawn by the potential for life-changing impact. He now juggles dual roles as CEO and VP of R&D:

  • Artificial Cornea: Permits cornea-blind patients to regain sight with no donor tissue needed.
  • Leadership: Balancing executive and technical guidance during a startup’s early stages.

This blend of innovation and personal commitment sets the stage—not only for the technology, but also for the bold marketing stories that follow.

Risky, Authentic Marketing: Turning First Surgeries Into Viral Moments

What happens when your product is so innovative, it makes news by itself? The startup’s first in-human cornea surgery became a global moment when Almog invited the media—despite the risks:

“The first thing that we’ve done which was kind of taking a high risk, is actually invite the media to our first inhuman human implantation.”

Imagine: cameras rolling, no guarantee of success. The bandages are removed, and a patient who hadn’t seen in 12 years begins to read. The story traveled instantly:

  • Featured on Fox News
  • Second trending topic on Weibo (China)
  • Out-ranked only by major global news (including the US president leaving office!)

Why Did This Work?

  • Real human stories build trust and interest
  • Media coverage amplifies innovation
  • Risk-taking produces viral, memorable moments

This wasn’t a planned campaign, but an instinctive response to an unprecedented breakthrough.

Building on Success: Expanding Product Lines and Communication

With public interest high, the company pushes forward:

  • Technology: Permanent integration of synthetic material with living tissue
  • Applications: Solutions for glaucoma, additional corneal products
  • Market Presence: Early-stage product already FDA-approved

Almog notes: “We can always talk about something new.” Ongoing trials and patient stories mean there’s a constant stream of updates—not just for physicians, but for patients, families, suppliers, and more.

Communication Channels

  • Clinical case stories (personal and scientific)
  • Continuous updates for key groups: patients, practitioners, distributors

Smart Distribution: Reps, Feedback, and Rolling Out New Devices

How does a company launch new medtech products without risking its main business line? Almog describes a strategic approach:

“The cornea project actually has a byproduct which is actually approved by the FDA… it’s kind of like a test balloon, something that enables you to identify friend or foes and get early feedback from customers.”

They use a smaller, FDA-cleared product to build relationships, gather feedback, and establish logistics—nearly 200 reps (mostly from the eye banking world) pave the way.

  • Early feedback
  • Mistake-proofing new launches
  • Building distributor and surgeon relationships

Distribution starts with the US, with 15 additional global distributors awaiting approval.

Global Marketing: Israel vs. the US

Medical marketing varies widely between countries. Almog reflects on essential contrasts:

Israel

  • Small, tightly connected network: “Everyone knows everyone.”
  • WhatsApp groups among glaucoma physicians spread news fast
  • Feedback—good or bad—travels instantly

United States

  • Large, distributed network
  • More layers between company and end-user
  • Success depends on personal connections between reps and surgeons
  • The company’s Chief Medical Officer relocated to the US for on-the-ground presence

“In the US, you can find areas where you have foes and areas that actually adopt you.”

AI in MedTech: Supercharging Operations and Marketing

How is AI redefining work in medtech? “We can do so much more with much less.” Almog’s whole operation, from R&D to marketing, is boosted by AI:

Examples of AI Impact

  • Patent drafting: AI covers 80% of the initial work
  • Image and text generation: For grants, fundraising, and media
  • Script writing: Video scripts for grants or pitches, quickly created
  • Text-to-speech: Rapid video and audio production

A recent example: a three-minute grant proposal video scripted and narrated in a fraction of previous effort.

Cultural Adoption of AI

  • Almog’s background in voice biometrics (acquired by Nuance/Microsoft) made early adoption natural
  • Internal “piece of the month” sessions help employees learn new tools from each other
  • AI helps in evaluating and matching with investors

Favorite AI Tools: Copilot, ChatGPT, Canva, and More

Almog’s go-to AI platforms include:

Copilot (Microsoft, based on ChatGPT)

  • Privacy and data sensitivity for medical/business use
  • Deep Windows integration
  • Effortless for LinkedIn posts, seasonal greetings, company updates

Canva

  • Fast graphic/text creation (no more waiting on agencies)
  • Drastically reduces turnaround for marketing collateral

Video Generation Tools

  • Not always high-end, but useful for internal/external communication: “Everything’s just there… it’s kind of a playground.”

“We can do just so much more with so much less.”

Part 2: Hila Peleg – Crafting Strategy in Medical Marketing

The Evolving Marketing Landscape: From Print to AI

Hila Peleg, with over two decades in medical and digital health marketing, describes her journey:

Marketing in the 90s

  • Everything offline: Conferences, journals, printed brochures
  • Advertising: Sent film negatives to journals weeks before publication
  • No immediate feedback loops

Digital Transformation

  • Gradual shift to email, digital channels, social media, and now, AI
  • Skillsets have had to radically transform with each era

Hila outlines three key eras:

  1. Offline (90s)
  2. Emergent Digital (Early 2000s; social media a decade later)
  3. AI Era (Now)

“You’ve had to radically transform your skill sets three times throughout your career.”

Though the tools have evolved, the fundamentals of medical marketing remain: credibility, regulation, and long sales cycles.

Medical vs. SaaS Marketing: Why Copy/Paste Fails

Hila’s insight: medical marketing is fundamentally different from SaaS.

The Medical Sales Cycle

It takes about a year to make a hospital sale:

  1. Convince physicians/nurses that switching products is worth it (safe, effective)
  2. Navigate regulatory and purchasing departments
  3. Back-check every claim (clinical trials as references)
  4. Revise and approve materials for regulation and accuracy

“I found this on Amazon… the decision-making process was less than 10 seconds versus what you’re talking about is a very extensive process.”

Hila’s Advice

  • Start marketing before FDA clearance
  • Do not copy SaaS tactics
  • Adapt strategy to the medical ecosystem’s unique challenges

AI in Medical Marketing: Benefits and Limitations

Hila is enthusiastic about AI—when used cautiously and with regulatory awareness:

“With medical technologies… I have to back check everything. I’m not trusting anyone and I know that the regulatory is very critical.”

AI Use Cases

  • Market research: Fast, but always manually and with Google verification
  • Content creation: ChatGPT and Canva for drafts, sometimes with clinical input for accuracy
  • Canva AI: Quick mockups and visuals
  • Text-to-video tools: For demos, training, instructional material

The Regulated Reality

Every piece of content—whether article, post, or video—must be fact-checked and approved by regulatory teams. AI increases efficiency but doesn’t replace human oversight.

Multilingual Needs

Hila is exploring tools that can quickly:

  • Generate educational videos
  • Translate and narrate content in multiple languages

“With early-stage medical startups, the marketer role will be to help with fundraising and shape the narrative.”

Key Lessons & Action Points

  • Innovation drives buzz—but always document and share real impact stories.
  • In regulated markets like medtech, marketing requires careful planning, trust-building, and patient storytelling.
  • AI can supercharge productivity, but human oversight and back-checking are essential—especially in healthcare.
  • Start marketing (and narrative-shaping) early—even before regulatory approvals.
  • Choose tactics and channels that fit the unique realities of your market and audience.
  • Stay curious and adaptable—digital transformation and AI are ongoing journeys

Connect and Keep Learning

  • Follow leading medtech innovators on LinkedIn.
  • Explore key US and EU conferences for in-person networking.
  • Embrace AI, but always back-check for accuracy—especially in health and science.
  • Discover boutique marketing resources like MARKTIT for support in launching and scaling startups.

A huge thank you to Almog and Hila for sharing their insights so openly! Want to join discussions on advanced marketing strategies, including real-world AI adoption? Consider applying for the Marketing Mastermind cohort—details in the podcast description.

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