# Amr Salahieh

> Amr Salahieh is a Syrian-born biomedical and electrical engineer, serial medical-device entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Shifamed, a Silicon Valley venture studio that provides shared people, facilities, and operating systems to a portfolio of focused companies. After early roles at Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, CardioThoracic Systems, and Guidant, he founded or helped build companies including Embolic Protection, Sadra Medical, Maya Medical, Kalila Medical, Apama Medical, and NuVera Medical. Shifamed says its management team has raised more than $800 million for portfolio companies, while Salahieh is an inventor or co-inventor on more than 400 issued and pending patent applications worldwide.

- **Role:** Founder, President & CEO at Shifamed; Chair & Acting CEO at Akura Medical
- **Organizations:** Shifamed, Akura Medical, Sadra Medical, Embolic Protection, Inc., Maya Medical, Kalila Medical, Apama Medical, NuVera Medical, Sobek Medical, CardioThoracic Systems, Guidant, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Supira Medical, Atia Vision
- **Education:** B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
- **Known for:** Founded Shifamed and built a shared-services venture-studio model for independent medical-device companies., Held founding or leadership roles in six companies acquired between 2001 and 2020: Embolic Protection, Sadra Medical, Maya Medical, Kalila Medical, Apama Medical, and NuVera Medical., Shifamed reports that its management team has raised more than $800 million for portfolio companies.

## Career timeline

- **1984-1989** — Studied biomedical and electrical engineering at Case Western Reserve University and served as captain of the fencing team.
- **After 1989** — Began at Advanced Cardiovascular Systems in California, first as an intern, and later worked at CardioThoracic Systems and Guidant.
- **2001** — Embolic Protection, Inc., which he co-founded, was acquired by Boston Scientific.
- **2003** — Founded Sadra Medical to develop a percutaneous aortic valve replacement system.
- **2008-2009** — Established Shifamed to give new medical-device companies shared facilities and operating support while preserving dedicated product teams.
- **2011** — Sadra Medical was acquired by Boston Scientific for $225 million upfront and up to $225 million in milestones.
- **2012** — Maya Medical was acquired by Covidien for $60 million upfront and up to $170 million in milestones.
- **2016** — Kalila Medical was acquired by Abbott for an undisclosed amount.
- **2017** — Apama Medical was acquired by Boston Scientific for $175 million upfront and up to $125 million in milestones.
- **2020** — NuVera Medical was acquired by Biosense Webster, a Johnson & Johnson company, for an undisclosed amount.
- **2025** — At LSI USA, described Shifamed as a roughly 400-person venture studio with eight companies and explained its growing use of software, sensors, imaging, and machine learning.
- **2026** — Participated in the LSI USA panel on strategic investments and structured transactions and served on the American Heart Association Bay Area Research Roundtable executive leadership team.

## Achievements

- Founded Shifamed and built a shared-services venture-studio model for independent medical-device companies.
- Held founding or leadership roles in six companies acquired between 2001 and 2020: Embolic Protection, Sadra Medical, Maya Medical, Kalila Medical, Apama Medical, and NuVera Medical.
- Shifamed reports that its management team has raised more than $800 million for portfolio companies.
- Inventor or co-inventor on more than 400 issued and pending patent applications worldwide, according to Shifamed.
- Built a portfolio spanning cardiovascular devices, ophthalmology, and enterprise software while keeping each company a separate entity with a dedicated leader and team.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Appeared in a published LSI USA 2026 conversation about the convergence of software and physical medical devices.
- **2026-03** — Listed on the executive leadership team for the American Heart Association’s Bay Area Research Roundtable.
- **2026-03** — Participated in an LSI USA 2026 panel on strategic investment, structured transactions, and lessons from company building.
- **2025-09** — Spoke at the Cardiovascular Tech Forum fireside chat on the future of cardiovascular innovation.
- **2025-05** — At LSI USA 2025, discussed Shifamed’s venture-studio model, post-acquisition continuity, and the growing role of machine learning, sensors, and software in its portfolio.

## Links

- Website: https://www.shifamed.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amr-salahieh
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/shifamed
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbo8bfnGUMc

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/amr-salahieh
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-17