Sequoia at MedTech World Malta 2025: Our Results

From November 12-14, Malta hosted MedTech World 2025 - a major event for medical technology and innovation.

For three days, Valletta turned into a global hub for healthtech. And honestly, in terms of preparation, organization, and overall value, this was one of the best and most productive events we've ever attended. And trust me, we’ve been to many. But let’s go through everything step by step.

Why MedTech World?

The organizers position MedTech World as the fastest-growing medtech conference in the world. This year, the event gathered +2000 participants from 50 countries, 300 speakers, 200 partner organizations, 300 startups, and 250 investors.

Some might say the numbers aren’t huge - and they’d be right. But what really matters here is not quantity but quality.

Take Web Summit, for example. It’s happening at the same time and brings in 75,000 people - but it’s mostly a giant mix of everything and nothing at once. MedTech World, on the other hand, brings together people who truly understand the field, its challenges, and its future. Everyone here “gets” what you’re building. It’s much easier to meet the right people - and many of them come to you first.

Small conferences have to compete with the giants, so they offer better conditions and more opportunities. That’s why this time we chose a smaller, more focused event - and it was the right decision.

The Venue

The conference took place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. Fun fact: the building was originally a hospital built in the 16th century by the Order of Saint John, and now it hosts top-level medical events. Symbolic, right?

But activities were not limited to this location - different parts of the event took place around the city.

Day 0 - Warm-up

Everything started with a “Day Zero,” dedicated to helping participants explore the country, culture, and business environment. There were many activities, some happening at the same time.

At 9:00 am, there were two optional 4-hour tours:

• a tour of Valletta
• a tour of Mdina — the ancient fortified city and former capital

From 11:00 to 13:00, there was the MDIA Tour - a visit to DiHubMT, the local European Digital Innovation Hub that supports startups and helps test new ideas and technologies.

Since we could explore cultural sights later, we chose the MDIA Tour. They’ve built a great environment for startups: coworking, meeting rooms, a stage, a studio for podcasts, and even space for experiments and 3D printing.

After that, we were taken to the Excelsior Hotel, where 3 parallel forums took place - for CEO, Investors, and Commercial Leaders.

It was my first time at a session where startup CEOs openly discussed their challenges. More experienced founders sat on a panel and answered any questions from those at earlier stages. Very useful format.

From 18:00 to 21:00 there was networking in the hotel lobby - with wine and drinks to make conversations easier. Honestly, bars are still the best networking tool. As they say, “Alcohol - connecting people.”

And by the way, Excelsior is a gorgeous 5-star hotel right on the waterfront, inside UNESCO-listed fortifications. A perfect place for easy conversations.

Day 1

At 8:00 AM the conference centre opened.

Inside, everything was divided into zones: reception, startup area, two stages, B2B spaces, food court, a loud Media Lounge, a quiet Recharge Lounge, and the exclusive Investors' Lounge.

We arrived early and found our booth ready: a branded counter, table, chairs, and a big 2×2.5m backdrop. To stand out even more, we brought a neon Sequoia logo. 

We also made sticker packs and stickers saying “Life Begins at Erection” - those were a hit.

And we were lucky with the location - right behind the Investors’ Lounge, a very busy area. Throughout the day, we talked to more than 200 people. By the evening, I had lost part of my voice.

The interest in Sequoia was huge. People came on their own, genuinely curious.

We met representatives from:

• Malta Enterprise — the local innovation agency
• Sexual Health Malta — the national sexual health education program
• Gero Sense — a Singaporean longevity biotech company
• MedTech Innovator — the biggest accelerator for medtech solutions
• and many, many investors from all over the world

The conference day ended at 18:00, but networking continued. At the Excelsior, once again, people gathered with wine and drinks. And then there was another meetup at the Muza restaurant at 19:30 - more conversations, more networking. Impressive scale.

We decided to go only to the Excelsior event. You can push yourself to 150%, but then only 50% will be left for the next day. And Day 2 was going to be intense.

Day 2

The day started at 9:00 with an interview in the Media Lounge - full setup: host, camera, lights, mics. I was supposed to do it the day before, but seeing how loud and crowded it was, I asked to move it to the morning. Best decision. Calm, quiet, fresh energy - we had a great conversation about Sequoia and the conference. No rehearsals, one take - a true live format.

At 14:40, it was time for my presentation on the main stage. I had 6 minutes and could use slides. It was my first time pitching on a stage like this, so I was a bit nervous. But Olya helped me calm down with a simple exercise: imagine the worst-case scenarios - messed-up slides, forgotten lines, stumbling, anything. Once you mentally "live through" these things, the actual presentation feels easy. 

Meanwhile, our booth kept working - Olga and Alex were presenting Sequoia nonstop.

At 19:30, we attended the gala dinner on the lower floor of the conference centre - a beautiful fine-dining event. During the dinner, winners in different categories were announced.

Later in the evening, we were driven to HIVE club - the heart of Malta’s nightlife. There was a special private area for conference attendees with drinks and snacks. It was a chance to relax after working hard for 3 days, talk freely, and enjoy the famous Maltese club culture, considered one of the best in the world.

What’s Next?

The conference is over, but the real work starts after it: sorting contacts, scheduling calls, setting up meetings, writing posts, and reports.

We also have two media interviews and one video podcast coming up. So yes - lots to do.

Conclusion

MedTech World exceeded all our expectations. It’s a perfect place for new connections and promoting your product. The venue, side events, media work, organization, and the people - everything supported productive work.

Activities started even before the conference and will continue long after it.

We’re sharing only the first results - and they already look very promising.