Ciao, I'm Asta.
I fell in love with tech somewhere between coding an app at Oxford to help survivors of sexual violence, interning at a startup in South Korea, and working in venture capital. I've spent nearly a decade testing different ways to leverage tech & innovation for good—from funding future of work & climate startups to building infrastructure for founders.
I didn't become the doctor my immigrant parents hoped for (sorry mom and dad), but I ended up in healthcare anyway. What drives me: figuring out how we accelerate both innovation and adoption, because breakthroughs don’t matter if they never reach patients.
What I'm Working On
My 9-to-5 is at Novo Nordisk in Open Innovation, where I work on digital health partnerships across Europe.
My 5-to-9 is running Obuntu Foundation, a non-profit I co-founded, supporting emerging fund managers across Africa. We've built a fellowship that's backed 38 fund managers who've collectively secured $72.7M in investment commitments.
I'm launching Healthcare Accelerated, a newsletter exploring how we accelerate healthcare innovation and its adoption. I write about why innovations get stuck between invention and adoption, and what infrastructure we actually need to fix that.
I also make selective angel investments and advise a handful of startups on strategy, fundraising, go-to-market, and operations.
Writing
My newsletter is the best way to see what I've been thinking about recently. Here's a selection of pieces I'm working on or am proud of:
- The Democratisation of Power (2023)
- Women’s Health Research is Underfunded & Under-researched (2022)
- Success = Hard Work or Luck? (2021)
- Healthcare Innovation: Why Are We Still Waiting? (Coming soon)
- Funding Models in Healthcare (Coming soon)
- The Power of Patient Communities (Coming soon)
Background
Prior to Novo, I worked at On Deck, where I learned what founders actually need beyond capital—infrastructure and community matter just as much. Before that, I was at CapitalT, a Northern European seed fund, where I learned how capital flows to early-stage innovation and what separates fundable companies from just interesting ideas. I also spent time at Founders Intelligence doing innovation consulting, helping corporates not get left behind by tech.
I've co-founded two startups that didn't work out: Alumi, an edtech marketplace connecting aspiring university students to mentors, and Campeat, a South Korean restaurant marketplace helping diners find discounts. Lessons learned!
I studied International Public Management at Sciences Po, focusing on tech & innovation policy and regulation. Before that, I read History and Politics at Oxford (Go Brasenose).
What I Do For Fun
I compose genre-blending music—jazz meets indie meets classical meets K-R&B. (Don't ask how it works, it just does.) I'm obsessed with theatre, particularly Ancient Greek tragedies. I'm a documentary and non-fiction aficionado—always have a recommendation ready.
I was born in Italy, the proud daughter of immigrants (shout out to third culture kids). I speak Italian (native), English, French, and Dioula fluently. I'm based in London.
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