Dr Georgia Fleet is a scientist turned entrepreneur on a mission to tackle one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: hospital-acquired infections.
She founded Zonova on International Women's Day in 2023 and is as CEO & Co-Founder. A materials scientist by training, Georgia spotted how medical devices drive hospital infections, and how few commercial solutions exist to address it.
Three years on, the company's Z-ROS® antimicrobial materials platform is in active commercial discussions with global device manufacturers to make hospital-acquired infections a problem of the past.
Georgia is a 2024/25 Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award winner, named Most Disruptive at Women in Tech EU 2025 and was listed #1 in TechRound's Top 50 Women in Startups & Tech in 2026 - recognising her commitment to impact, innovation, and women in STEM.
We cover the following in our conversation:
01:59 Why hospital infections persist
04:40 Breakthrough: The "aha" moment
06:50 Pivot to platform model
08:25 Founder market fit
11:05 Fundraising reality check
17:20 Pitching platform and hiring CCO
19:43 Women investors
27:30 Fundraising experience
30:06 IP and impact strategy
31:44 Looking ahead: Ten year vision
33:51 Advice for new women investors
36:38 Final thoughts
