Our Mission
Our mission is to empower parents with innovative and child-friendly solutions to treat negative middle ear pressure at home. We aim to improve children's health by providing evidence based, non-invasive products that deliver immediate relief and long-term health benefits.
An innovative solution to a common problem
Negative middle ear pressure, which can lead to fluid buildup (otitis media with effusion) and chronic ear infections, is one of the most common pediatric concerns, costing Americans $5 billion per year.
- 2.2 M+ US pediatrician visits per year
- 90% of children before they reach age 5
- 1 in 5 preschoolers are affected at any given time
Children with negative middle ear pressure experience many challenges, including discomfort, hearing loss, developmental delay, behavioral issues, sleep issues, and reduced quality of life.
- 5x more acute infections
- 85% experience physical suffering
- 64% experience sleep disruption
Up until now, parents and pediatricians have had limited treatment options. ENT Specialists often recommend surgery to place tubes in the child's ears, but the surgery involves general anesthesia and a risk of complications, including repeat surgery.
- 26% tube infection (4% >3 months)
- 14% repeat surgery
- 3% persistent eardrum perforation
Transforming Pediatric Care with Non-Surgical Innovation
Our founders identified the problem firsthand and developed a solution that could help treat negative middle ear pressure at home and help families avoid surgery.
After many years of development, they created Earflo, which has been evaluated in multiple clinical studies.¹
Meet the Team
Founders
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Dr. Intan Oldakowska
BEng, BCom, PhDIntan is a biomedical engineer and entrepreneur focused on developing innovative medical devices to address unmet clinical needs. She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Curtin University and over the last 12 years has co-founded three medtech startups that have won multiple awards. She also helps future medtech entrepreneurs through her involvement with Perth Biodesign, Biodesign Australia, and the Biomedical Engineering course at the University of Western Australia.
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Dr. Matthew Oldakowski
BEng, PhDMatthew is a biomedical engineer with academic, industry and start-up experience in the medical device space. Matthew's PhD was to develop an expandable orthopedic screw which has resulted in five patents, multiple awards and spun-out into REX Ortho. Earflo was initiated at Stanford Biodesign when he was training as a Global Faculty to be able to teach the Biodesign methodology as part of his current role with Perth Biodesign and lecturing at the University of Western Australia.
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Dr. Peter Santa Maria
MD, PhDDr. Santa Maria is a clinician-scientist with expertise in translational medicine and medtech commercialization. He is Director of SPARK Global, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Flo-therm, and co-leads the UPMC CREATES Lab. He also serves as Division Chief of Otology & Neurotology and Vice Chair of Translational and Clinical Research at the University of Pittsburgh. A former Stanford faculty member, he completed his PhD in molecular biology at the University of Western Australia, winning multiple awards for his research.
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Dr. Stephen Kargotich
PhD, MBA, LLBStephen is a highly experienced professional specializing in corporate advisory, capital raising management, start-ups, and mergers and acquisitions. With a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology, an MBA, and a Bachelor of Law (Hons), he brings a solid academic and legal background. Steve's career spans leadership roles in a publicly listed company, investment management, global partnerships, and fostering innovation in drug development and medical devices. In addition to Earflo, he has co-invented other non-invasive medical technologies.
Our Team
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Michelle Weil
BA, MBAMichelle is a marketing leader with 15+ years of experience in branding and digital marketing of health tech. She has led marketing teams at Willow, Levita Magnetics, Uniform Teeth, and Jawbone.
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Maria-Jose (MJ) Soto
MEng (Biomedical)Maria-Jose is a Biomedical Engineer with 4+ years' experience in hospital and commercial settings as well as research experience at VascLab, focusing on cardiovascular devices and biomaterials.
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Daniel Flanagan
MEng (Biomedical)Daniel is a graduate Biomedical Engineer who joined Earflo in 2023 after an internship. His research project was on implantable spinal device with the Spinal Cord Repair Lab and Peron Institute.
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Lincoln Black
BDes (Industrial Design)Lincoln is an Industrial Designer with 20+ years of experience, specializing in medical devices and orthopedics. Since 2021, he has focused on agile design consulting for startups.
Advisor
Earflo in the News
Earflo has garnered significant media recognition for its groundbreaking approach to treating negative middle ear pressure.
Awards & Recognition
Earflo has earned numerous accolades in both the United States and Australia, from prestigious healthcare awards to recognition in innovation competitions.
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National Merit -
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WinnerEmerging Innovation Winner - Western Australia Innovator of the Year Award 2023
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Runner-upPitch Competition Runner-up - ENTrepreneur Faceoff AAO-HNSF 2023
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Silver AwardPitch Competition Silver Award - UCSF-Stanford Pediatric Device Accelerator Shark Tank 2020
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Join Us
At Earflo, we envision a world where children can thrive without being held back by hearing issues.
We aim to change the global paradigm of care for otitis media with effusion by providing parents with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively address and treat these issues, enabling children to reach their maximum potential.
Interested in supporting our mission? Email us at help@earflocare.com