In this episode of Diagnosing Dx, I’m joined by Ajit Singh, CEO at Harbinger Health.
Ajit has spent decades building, scaling, and investing in diagnostics companies, and this conversation draws on that full perspective. We explore why cancer diagnosis remains one of the biggest unresolved problems in care, what happens after suspicion enters the system, and why so many patients still face delays, uncertainty, and fragmented pathways before they get answers.
Ajit explains how Harbinger Health is approaching this challenge, not by competing directly with existing screening models, but by helping define a new category focused on resolving ambiguity earlier and more effectively. We also discuss what it takes to build in diagnostics today: operational agility, leadership transitions, stakeholder complexity, commercialisation strategy, and the capital landscape shaping biotech in 2026. This is one of the most important conversations we’ve had on Diagnosing Dx, a practical look at what separates diagnostics companies that launch from those that actually scale.
Key takeaways:
- Why healthcare innovation depends on nimbleness, not just process
- What it takes to build a new category in cancer detection
- Why leadership needs to evolve as a diagnostics company grows
- How strong positioning and ecosystem leverage can shape fundraising success
- Why stakeholder complexity is one of the biggest barriers to adoption
Key chapters:
- 00:00 Introduction to diagnostics, capital, and the market landscape
- 03:57 Ajit Singh’s career journey and lessons from Siemens
- 10:02 Moving from corporate leadership to startup life
- 12:57 Harbinger Health and the challenge of cancer diagnosis
- 18:48 Building a new category in cancer detection
- 23:52 Early testing, commercialization, and market adoption
- 30:52 Leadership transition, company growth, and scaling
- 33:15 Venture capital, funding, and future growth strategy
- 37:08 Navigating complexity in healthcare and the role of mentorship
- 43:06 Future milestones, product launches, and the capital landscape
Guest: Ajit Singh CEO, Harbinger Health
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajit-singh-flagship/
Host: David Filby CEO, Elevra Consulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfilby/