The people behind healthcare innovation: Interview with Udi Bobrovsky, COO of SpotitEarly

As part of my work, I have the privilege to speak with many inspiring innovators. Although the business community usually focuses on companies, pitches, and valuations — and less on the innovator — I thought it would be interesting to learn a bit more about the people behind healthcare innovation. In this series, I’m sharing some of my conversations with innovators in a condensed format to gain insights into their experience, their opinions, and their learnings.

This latest conversation is with Udi Bobrovsky, COO of SpotitEarly, a company focusing on early detection of multiple cancer types.

Tobias: What’s your story? How did you become an innovator in healthcare?

I owe my journey from being an innovator to becoming a healthcare innovator to Nir Kalkstein , one of Israel's leading data scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors. Nir has dedicated his career and resources to leveraging the power of data to revolutionize healthcare. At the time, I was working in one of Nir's companies in the fintech industry when he approached me with an opportunity to "cross the street"—quite literally, and join his healthcare think tank located just across the street. He invited me to join his mission to bring innovative, data-driven healthcare products to life.

That pivotal decision almost a decade ago set me on this path, and I haven’t looked back since. I’m deeply grateful for the chance to contribute to such a meaningful and impactful field, where every effort has the potential to make a real difference in people’s lives.

Tobias: Where do you see cancer diagnostics moving to in the next ten years in healthcare?

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death worldwide, claiming millions of lives each year. Early detection is critical in the fight against cancer, as it has the potential to dramatically improve survival rates while significantly reducing the costs of care.

Despite decades of cancer screening efforts, current systems are far from optimal. Today, recognized screening procedures exist for only five types of cancer, each designed to target just one. This fragmented approach makes it difficult for people to comply with screening guidelines, leaving many cancers undiagnosed until later stages.

Over the next decade, I envision a transformative evolution in cancer diagnostics. The future lies in tests that can screen for multiple types of cancer in a single procedure—expanding beyond the current five to include hard-to-detect cancers like ovarian and pancreatic cancer. These tests will offer a completely reimagined user experience: non-invasive, simple, and approachable, eliminating the fear and discomfort that often deter people from routine screening.

This vision is exactly what we are working toward at SpotitEarly, the company I co-founded with three close friends over four years ago. We are developing a groundbreaking diagnostic test based on a breath sample that requires just three minutes of breathing into a facial mask. This test is designed to detect multiple cancers simultaneously.

By combining this multi-cancer detection capability with a radically improved user experience—non-invasive, non-intimidating, and accessible from the comfort of home—we aim to revolutionize cancer screening. Patients can complete the test on their own schedule, without the need for appointments, commuting, or taking time off work. This convenience, coupled with the ability to detect cancer early, should encourage more people to follow screening guidelines and seek follow-up care when needed, dramatically improving survival rates while reducing costs.

Our approach uniquely combines sophisticated AI technology with Man's best friend: dogs. Dogs possess an extraordinary olfactory system that science has shown, over the past 25 years, to detect cancer odor signatures with remarkable sensitivity. By leveraging this natural ability alongside cutting-edge AI, and supporting it with clinical validation data, we have created a diagnostic system that is both innovative and highly accurate.

I believe this combination of advanced science, user-centric design, and proven biological capabilities will shape the future of cancer diagnostics, making early detection accessible, effective, and life-saving for millions.

Tobias: If you could design a digital-first health system for a country from scratch, what would it look like?

Throughout my entrepreneurial journey in healthcare, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the importance of preventive care—and the immense challenge of engaging people in actions that keep them healthy and enable them to live life to its fullest.

We are living in a transformative era where data is no longer confined to scientists; it can now be seamlessly and effectively shared with everyone, empowering individuals to take an active role in their own health.

If I were to design a digital-first health system from scratch, it would be an active system rather than the traditional reactive model. This means a system that focuses on maintaining health daily, rather than responding only when symptoms appear—often when it’s already too late. Such a proactive approach is key to reversing the downward spiral we see in many healthcare systems across the western world.

At the core of this system would be robust data collection mechanisms that are personalized, user-friendly, and deeply engaging. These mechanisms would provide individuals with meaningful insights into their health on a day-to-day basis while equipping healthcare professionals with the tools to actively intervene early—when symptoms are in their infancy, or even before they arise.

This kind of system would not only help people stay healthier for longer but would also enable healthcare providers to deliver significantly better care. By shifting the focus from treating illness to preserving wellness, we could create a more sustainable, efficient, and impactful healthcare system for the future.

Tobias: In your opinion, what would be meaningful near-term steps towards a digital-first health system?

In my opinion, one of the most meaningful near-term steps toward a digital-first health system is achieving standardization in how we collect and manage patient data, coupled with ensuring interoperability across platforms and systems.

A seamless and transparent integration of these elements would enable the continuous collection of both wellness and medical data, consolidating it into a single, coherent record. This unified record could then be securely shared with any health system the patient chooses, empowering them with control over their healthcare information.

With such standardized and interoperable data, a digital-first health system could unlock its full potential—delivering more effective, personalized, and proactive care for patients while improving efficiency across the entire healthcare ecosystem.

Tobias: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were starting out as an innovator?

When I first entered the field, I had little understanding of the profound impact social determinants of health have on us as individuals and as communities. I assumed that health systems, physicians, and medical care providers were the primary drivers of health and well-being.

Over time, I’ve realized that the factors influencing health extend far beyond the clinical setting. Social, economic, and environmental determinants play a pivotal role, often shaping outcomes more significantly than medical interventions alone.

This insight has greatly expanded my perspective on the interventions and opportunities available to improve and sustain health. The "playground" for innovation is far broader than I initially imagined, encompassing not just healthcare delivery but also the underlying systems and conditions that support healthier lives.

About Udi Bobrovsky

Inventive healthcare entrepreneur, with proven track record and extraordinary achievements in building teams and companies. Self-driven, motivated strategic thinker with excellent analytical skills and execution capabilities.

Spent the last decade at the cutting edge of digital health, building products to improve health + care and ultimately save lives.

For more information, see Udi Bobrovsky and SpotitEarly .

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the guest contributor.