Based in London, Ariadna Masó (Vic, 1988) is the founder and CEO of SANNO, a digital health platform for clinical research in areas such as digestive health. She studied Business Management at ESADE and worked in finance for nine years, but her chronic gut condition drove her to study Nutrition Science, earn certification from Stanford School of Medicine and create SANNO in 2020. We’re talking to a featured ‘Forbes 30 under 30 in Europe’ and the creator of CEMS entrepreneurs, a community of founders which comprises 32 business schools from around the world.

“I love doing sports and dancing like nobody’s watching!”

TB: What is the purpose of your project?

AM: The goal is to accelerate research and get the right treatment to patients much faster. Right now it takes more than 4 years to make an impact on patients from the evidence complied in a clinical trial for a new treatment. We are here to change this and make healthcare more efficient and personalised with our tech platform.

TB: A good idea you have had.

AM: Pay attention to my nutrition patterns and identify what foods cause me bloating or a foggy head. That’s how the first version of the SANNO app came up! I still use it to log foods that irritate my tummy and find correlations alongside sleep and activity data.

TB: A bad professional experience.

AM: As the saying goes, people don’t quit a job, they quit a boss. During my career in finance, I struggled to find support from managers to grow in my role even when I asked for mentorship and feedback. At SANNO I focus on creating a culture where we empower everyone on the team from day one. The team is everything.

TB: The best advice you’ve ever been given.

AM: Don’t be afraid to fail. As a founder, there’s so much pressure to succeed and to do it fast. Over time I have learned to validate ideas or even commercial terms with short feedback loops and clear metrics. If you fail, do it fast and cheap until you find a pattern that works. Start small, move fast and make it big.

TB: A professional reference that inspires you.

AM: I find Serena Williams very inspiring not only for her career in sports but also as a founder of Serena Ventures which backs underrepresented founders.

TB: A technology that will shape the future.

AM: ChatGPT. I believe this is an incredible tool that will help us speed up many processes in many roles and functions. I feel this has so much potential, and we are still learning how to interact with AI. It’s only getting started.

TB: What are you worried about?

AM: The healthcare system in many countries is under so much pressure with a lack of capacity, fragmented data and poor rewards for doctors who are massively underpaid. We need to make healthcare efficient and open doors to technology. Why does a patient need to wait for 9 months to see a specialist when there can be remote monitoring platforms with evidence-based programs to help patients faster?

TB: A startup.

AM: I really like Salient Bio, a biotech company that’s creating the lab of the future with sequencing testing. They are doing a lot in the women’s health space. One of the cofounders just moved from London to Barcelona; a great win for the ecosystem here!

TB: A book to recommend.

AM: “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries. I have read it twice and I truly think it’s a must-read for any entrepreneur.

TB: A series, film or song that defines your moment in life.

AM: I love the series called “Ted Lasso” and how a coach brings in a fresh positive culture in a football team despite many challenges and haters around him.

TB: A recipe, a meal, a restaurant.

AM: Recipe: sweet potato with avocado. Cook in the pan for 10 minutes until the sweet potato is soft and then add avocado on top. Meal: paella. Restaurant: Martínez in Montjuic.

TB: A city, a journey.

AM: I fell in love with Tel Aviv during the Forbes 30 under 30 summit in 2017. I loved the good vibes, delicious food and the amazing tech ecosystem. I could see some similarities between Tel Aviv and Barcelona with the Mediterranean lifestyle!

TB: Where would you invest 100k?

AM: In climate tech solutions that improve soil quality for better food quality.

TB: And a million euros?

AM: In microbiome studies. 70% of the immune system lives in the digestive tract and yet we know so little about what diseases we can treat from better understanding the microbiome composition.

TB: If you weren’t an entrepreneur…

AM: I would be a dietitian. I started to study nutrition science and it’s a fascinating space. One day I will finish my studies, but the priority is on SANNO first 🙂

TB: What is Tech Barcelona for you?

AM: A very open-minded community of entrepreneurs and operators who care about making an impact. It’s all about the great people in the network and their ambition to make a big impact as well as help each other.