91探花

Tell us about yourselves

Carolina:聽We鈥檙e two sisters who founded Alvica Medical in 2023聽 – a medtech company with one clear mission: to bridge the gap between groundbreaking innovations and the people who need them most. Personally, I鈥檓 a passionate nerd at heart, obsessed with science, technology, self-development, and entrepreneurship鈥攁nd I鈥檓 a huge fan of Stoic philosophy.

Victoria:聽And I鈥檓 Victoria, 25, with a love for all things medicine, history, and psychology. I was on the path to becoming a doctor, but as we launched Alvica, I realised I could make a far bigger impact by helping grow this company. That鈥檚 why I decided to fully dedicate myself to it.

Carolina:聽Family is at the heart of everything we do. Our parents, both doctors, have always been our inspiration. Honestly, we couldn鈥檛 imagine our entrepreneurial journey without their support – and, of course, each other. Victoria and I have been business partners since we were 9 and 10 years old!

Victoria:聽Our first venture was a catering business. We hated the cafeteria food at school, so we created our own menu and took orders from classmates. Eventually, the school caught on when no one was eating in the cafeteria, and we got into trouble – but our parents were so encouraging afterwards.

Carolina:聽That鈥檚 when we realised we had the entrepreneurial spark. After that, we started all kinds of creative projects. We wanted to get rid of broken toys but figured we could sell them if we added value. So, we created a theatre show where each toy had a story – like the one missing an eye became a villain with a cool backstory. After the show, kids would buy the toys, and we always sold out! It worked great until some angry parents complained their kids were bringing home what they saw as 鈥榯rash.鈥�

Victoria:聽Lesson learned! Our next venture was a mermaid business in Greece, and that was a game-changer. The profits from that business helped us launch our first medical company. We trained to swim in professional mermaid costumes and offered our services to luxury resorts, from beach days to boat trips and birthday parties. Our summers were packed, and we loved every second of it.

Carolina:聽All of those early ventures may seem sweet and innocent now, but back then, they taught us some serious entrepreneurial skills – storytelling, delegating, resource management, budgeting, and even finance. We had to be sharp about managing our funds to reinvest in our businesses, whether it was for the next performance or better equipment. Those lessons laid the foundation for everything we do today.

Victoria:聽Looking back, we didn鈥檛 fully realise how those small ventures were the push we needed to start our first implant delivery business in Germany after high school. At the time, we were both pursuing medicine and doing internships in hospitals back home. It quickly became clear that there was a real demand for German medical products, but second-hand retailers were charging almost double the price. So, we saw an opportunity and set up a delivery service to offer hospitals a more affordable alternative. Now, we鈥檙e chasing an even bigger dream – Alvica Medical.

How did you overcome adversity in your entrepreneurial journey?

Carolina:聽It鈥檚 easier said than done, but I believe that overcoming adversity starts from within. It鈥檚 about changing the narrative we keep telling ourselves. Our brains naturally default to self-pity and victim mode. But that鈥檚 where self-awareness comes in. You take a step back, reflect, and realise, 鈥淲ait, I really can control my thought patterns.鈥� Every time something tough comes my way, I just tell myself, 鈥淎lright, we鈥檒l figure it out.鈥� And the funny thing is, we always do.

Victoria:聽Another key ingredient is laughter. Honestly, not taking things too seriously, cracking jokes, and bringing humour into difficult situations has worked wonders for us. I鈥檝e noticed that humour sparks creativity鈥攊t switches on a part of your brain that鈥檚 suddenly firing in all directions. More often than not, that leads to solutions you鈥檇 never even considered.

What is the best lesson you’ve learnt as an entrepreneur?

Carolina:聽“Perfectionism is procrastination disguised as quality control.” When I first heard this quote, it hit me hard. I realised that my obsession with doing everything perfectly was actually the very thing holding me back. I used to think, “Well, I鈥檓 just a perfectionist, it鈥檚 who I am.” No! I wasn鈥檛 a perfectionist – I was a procrastinator.

One of the biggest lessons I鈥檝e learned is that entrepreneurship is all about proactivity. It won鈥檛 always be perfect; you might fail a thousand times, you might embarrass yourself, and you鈥檒l definitely make mistakes. But none of that matters because you鈥檙e taking action. And that is one of the most crucial ingredients for success.

Victoria:聽We always joke that this business is our baby – and it really is! It needs constant attention, and we鈥檙e always thinking about it. Being an entrepreneur is so multi-dimensional; you can鈥檛 just rely on one skill. I鈥檝e learned that you need to be ready to wear multiple hats and handle different areas all at once. It鈥檚 also about playing to your strengths and understanding your weaknesses. Carolina and I know each other so well now that we don鈥檛 even have to say anything – we just instinctively know who should take the lead on what. It鈥檚 all about recognising your strengths and using them to the fullest whether that鈥檚 with your business partner, or your team. That鈥檚 been a game-changer for us.

Tell us about the company you have built

Carolina:聽Alvica Medical is the result of a talented team effort with years of experience in the field. The initial spark for our company came while attending exhibitions. We were shocked to discover an entire world of medical technology that most people will likely never have access to. It鈥檚 not democratised, even though these devices were created by people, for people. That鈥檚 the mission. We were also frustrated by how difficult it is for medical startups to get their products to end users, and that鈥檚 when our first vision for Alvica Medical was born.

Victoria:聽Then, when the war in Ukraine started, we went back to our hometown to deliver humanitarian aid and volunteer. While we were there, we experienced firsthand how outdated rehabilitation and pain therapy systems are for people. The hard truth is, this isn鈥檛 just a problem in war-torn countries鈥攊t鈥檚 like this everywhere. You don鈥檛 realise it until it affects you or someone close to you. We saw the lack of support, especially with increasing demand and ongoing staff shortages. That鈥檚 when we knew we had to introduce medical technology to tackle this issue, and we decided to focus on movement medicine as our starting point.

Carolina: We鈥檙e just getting started, but in the past year and a half, we鈥檝e already built partnerships with top medical technology startups and secured exclusive distribution rights. We鈥檝e introduced our products to leading medical institutions, opened a showroom in Sweden, attended multiple exhibitions, and are about to launch our mobile showroom – a sleek, spacious expo for cutting-edge medical technology on wheels that brings innovation directly to people鈥檚 homes, offices, and workplaces. We have plans to turn it into a mobile clinic in the future.

When people think of robotics and medical tech, it often feels distant – something far off that they won鈥檛 interact with. But why should it be that way? With the rise of AI and the incredible advancements happening around us, we鈥檙e here to start bridging the gap between these incredible innovations and the patients who need them. Alvica Medical is becoming the much needed one-stop hub where startups can showcase their latest innovations, and clients and patients can experience them firsthand.

Victoria: We have big plans and even bigger goals, but at the heart of it all, it鈥檚 about people. I鈥檓 deeply grateful for everyone who has invested their time and energy into turning our vision into reality, step by step, we are getting there.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

Carolina:聽One of my favourite quotes is 鈥淟uck is when preparation meets opportunity.鈥� A lot of entrepreneurs give advice like, 鈥渏ust start鈥� or 鈥渏ust do it,鈥� but I believe that鈥檚 a good way to get stuck swimming against the tide. Taking the time to write out a plan, prepare, and set out your next steps makes acting on them so much easier.

To me, the key word in that quote is 鈥渕eets.鈥� It鈥檚 about letting your preparation meet the world. Whether it’s learning a new skill, mapping out your plans, or setting your goals – once you鈥檙e ready, it鈥檚 time to step out, network, pitch relentlessly聽 and seize the opportunities life throws your way. Don鈥檛 be ashamed or embarrassed鈥攖hose who鈥檝e been on the same journey will never judge you.

Victoria:聽Sometimes as entrepreneurs, we fall into the trap of thinking, “The more I work, the better.” In the beginning, Caro and I had a terrible routine鈥攚e鈥檇 sleep at the office for just a few hours, and our amazing team, just as dedicated, worked long hours alongside us. We were over consumed, and our lifestyle was unhealthy and, honestly, pretty bizarre.

It took a wake-up call – literally an ambulance trip – for us to realise what overworking can do to your health. You can only push so far if you鈥檙e neglecting proper sleep, nutrition, exercise, and socialising. We need those key elements as humans to be mentally and physically at our best. Now, we make it a priority to ensure that our team has a healthy work-life balance, encouraging them to rest and take care of themselves.