I want to do more than just invest for financial return; I want to do something for the greater good
A Life Driven by Curiosity, Care, and Impact
Swiss-born entrepreneur, scientist, and philanthropist Professor Michael Atar is driven by a simple but powerful goal: To improve and heal the world by putting ideas into action for the greater good.
Michael’s path began in academia and medicine, where he built a distinguished career in paediatric dentistry. His research earned multiple awards, and he went on to lecture across Europe and the United States, speaking at international conferences, and serving as a professor at New York University. Later, he established his own dental surgery in London, combining clinical practice with teaching and research.
From Medicine to Meaningful Investment
Michael’s interest in biomedical physics opened the door to a bigger question: How could modern innovation radically improve healthcare? That curiosity naturally evolved into a career as an entrepreneurial venture capital investor, focused on supporting breakthrough bio-medical technologies with the potential to transform patient outcomes.
His journey took him to Silicon Valley, where he connected with influential figures such as Peter Thiel and Ajay Rayan of Mithril, and Lyndsey Fishburn of Breakout Labs. These relationships helped shape his approach to investing at the intersection of science, medicine, and technology.
One standout example is Cytovale™, a San Francisco-based medical diagnostics company where Michael serves as a lead med-tech investor and advisor. Cytovale™ is tackling sepsis, a fast-moving and often deadly condition that remains the number one cause of death in hospitals worldwide, responsible for around 20% of global deaths. Sepsis claims a life every three seconds, and each untreated hour increases the risk of death by up to eight percent.
Cytovale™’s breakthrough technology, IntelliSep®, has the potential to change that. The diagnostic tool identifies sepsis in under ten minutes using a standard blood sample. By analysing how white blood cells deform under stress, becoming flattened and elongated “like a leech” in sepsis patients, IntelliSep® delivers a digital result with an average accuracy of 97 percent. In January 2023, the technology received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration FDA, marking a major milestone after more than a decade of development and over $120M in investment. Professor Atar describes it as the “Holy Grail” clinicians have been searching for, with NHS availability anticipated in the coming years.
A Thoughtful Eye for Medical Innovation
Beyond sepsis diagnostics, Michael supports other vital healthcare advances including Remedly™, a digital health records platform that connects doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurers into a single, unified patient view. Often described as the missing link in healthcare’s digital transformation, Remedly™ was named Best Revenue Cycle Management Software for 2025 by Software Advice.
Michael’s investment philosophy is deliberate and disciplined. Often described as having a “Midas touch” in medical technology, he focuses on deep understanding rather than hype. He looks for scientifically robust ideas with real-world application and strong product-market fit. Just as importantly, he assesses the people behind each venture, their expertise, communication skills, and commercial insight. Clear, timely, and honest communication, he believes, is essential. Finally, he places strong emphasis on due diligence, particularly around funding models and burn rates, recognising that cashflow is one of the most common reasons startups fail.
Alongside his work in medical technology, Michael has expanded his commitment to care by training as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, with a special focus on parent-child relationships. Drawing on 25 years as a paediatric dentist and his own experience as a father, he works with families, parents, carers, couples, and individuals in a warm, collaborative, and non-judgemental setting. His practice addresses a wide range of challenges, including postnatal depression, PTSD, borderline personality disorder, and child development issues such as feeding, sleeping, emotional connection, and neurodiversity.
Michael strongly believes that parent-infant and parent-child therapy is one of the most valuable investments a parent can make, even more impactful than financial security. Grounded in evidence-based medicine, this work helps parents understand their child’s inner world, strengthening emotional bonds and attachment and ensuring children feel truly “seen and heard,” reducing the risk of long-term trauma.
Building a More Connected World
More recently, Michael has turned his attention to social connection with the launch of NEER®, a new app designed to combat loneliness and help people meet in real life. The idea emerged nine years ago from his psychoanalytic observations of how difficult many people find approaching others, feeling safe, and taking social risks. Challenges amplified by neurodivergence and further intensified by the pandemic.
NEER® deliberately moves away from swipe-based dating models, which Michael sees as addictive, impersonal, and isolating. Instead, the app limits messaging and prioritises real life face-to-face meetings, acting as a door opener to genuine human connection. It also shares short educational reels on healthy social behaviour and will partner with designated “safe spots” to support secure, comfortable meet-ups.
Described by Michael as a “second, social brain,” NEER® helps users navigate social situations with confidence and care. While commercially driven, the platform places user safety at its core. Launch plans include events in London, followed by New York and Los Angeles, the Near East, and Mumbai. Michael himself would use NEER® for networking, underlining its purpose as a broader social platform rather than a dating app.
