I. The Mission
We aren’t chasing a market. We are solving a complex biological data problem from the inside out.
Most biomedical startups are built by observers. 33med is built by Patient Zero. Our founder has lived with Ankylosing Spondylitis for 22 years, resulting in up to 90% spinal bone fusion and chronic daily inflammation.
We are not building this because it is an interesting market opportunity. We are building this because we require it to restore mobility and reverse this condition.
Our mission is singular: deploy highly scalable data infrastructure, open-source biotech R&D stacks, and advanced surgical robotics to completely rewrite the architecture of the human spine and dismantle the damage of Ankylosing Spondylitis.
II. Leadership
The exact combination of software, AI, and hardware execution.
Ben Gervais
Founder & Software Lead
Serving as both the visionary "Patient Zero" and lead software/AI architect for 33med, Ben drives the computational and software foundation of the company. Having lived with Ankylosing Spondylitis for 22 years—resulting in daily inflammatory pain and significant spinal bone fusion—he brings an unbreakable conviction to solve the disease's most complex biological data problems from the inside out. He possesses an unparalleled understanding of the patient reality. He is dedicated to engaging in research to solve spinal bone fusion and halt the systemic inflammation behind structural autoimmune diseases.
First and foremost a software creator, Ben has more than 18 years of professional experience engineering and delivering scalable digital products and services to millions of users globally. His rare cross-disciplinary expertise spans from bleeding-edge software automation to deep-tech systems engineering, giving him the precise technical profile required to build 33med's autonomous AI swarms for bioinformatics.
For nearly a decade, Ben has been engaged in applied Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, and automation. He began developing NLP-integrated systems in 2017 and was an early adopter of Large Language Models, joining OpenAI’s private beta program in 2021. Today, he designs LLM-focused process automation systems featuring modular architectures and dynamic integrations. His recent R&D utilizes a wide variety of open-source architectures alongside cloud platforms like Google Vertex AI Studio.
Beyond the software layer, Ben is a dedicated hardware technology enthusiast. His hands-on homelab experience includes operating OpenBCI headsets, utilizing advanced robotics, and working extensively with Arduino sensors and components. He also designs and builds high-performance machine learning workstations. This complementary interest in engineering uniquely positions him to lead 33med’s ultimate transition from AI-driven biomedical research to the physical realm of precision surgical robotics.
As a serial entrepreneur and technical leader, Ben’s startup journey is defined by high-impact R&D and rapid technical execution:
- Strategic AI Advisory and Consulting: Advises and collaborates with organizations as an AI strategist, helping them identify opportunities, develop implementation strategies, and build applied AI solutions.
- One Click Labs / Yield Network (CTO / Head of R&D): Contributes to R&D and systems architecture for AI, blockchain, and big data.
- KeyFi (CEO & Co-Founder): Led the design and development of an advanced DeFi platform, engineering AI-driven features like a daily LLM-powered market analysis report prior to the company's acquisition.
- SelfKey (Head of R&D): Directed R&D across decentralized identity infrastructure (DIDs and cryptographic credentials), computational economics, agent-based modeling, and biometrics. He also led the development of a full FATF travel rule compliance system and designed a cryptographic system to validate media against AI deepfakes four years ahead of comparable industry solutions.
- Alua / Aparlay (Technical Co-Founder): Spearheaded full-stack development, API design, and DevOps for a premium fan messaging platform that scaled to over 5 million users.
John Hubble
Chief Engineer & Hardware Lead
John Hubble is a hardware innovator and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of end-to-end engineering experience spanning defence, medical devices, immersive media, and consumer electronics. After earning his B.S. in Engineering Science & Mechanics (biomedical emphasis) from Virginia Tech, he quickly built deep expertise in mission-critical design and ruggedization that now underpins his broad portfolio of work.
In 2001 he founded Hubble Engineering, an agile product-development studio that transforms early-stage concepts into manufacturable designs ready for production. As director, John leads cross-functional teams through concept generation, mechanical and electrical design, rapid prototyping (additive manufacturing, CNC, composite structures), custom PCB design, validation testing, and Asian-based manufacturing transfer.
Here are a few of John’s notable ventures and highlights:
- Co-Founder, Orb VR Labs (2016) – Advanced haptic and mixed-reality hardware, including exoskeletal controllers and XR integration tools.
- Defence & High-Energy Systems – Early-career projects developing pulsed-power and other high-energy systems, as well as factory-automation equipment for micro-electronics, UV curing, and SMT/die processes.
- Medical & Wellness – Developed surgical haptic trainers, muscle-sensor wearables, orthopaedic rehabilitation devices, and the hardware development of Naodec, an AI-synchronized, multi-sensory mental health optimization system.
Driven by a lifelong meditation practice, John pairs human-centric design with rigorous engineering to create products that improve health, performance, and everyday experience.
Hung-Yu Chen
Head of Clinical Operations & Partnerships
Hung-Yu leads clinical strategy and institutional partnerships for 33MED, serving as the critical bridge between the company’s AI/hardware R&D and Taiwan’s world-class medical ecosystem. With a deep background in advanced clinical physiology and sports medicine research, he ensures 33MED’s structural reconstruction architectures align with rigorous, real-world biomechanical demands.
Crucially, Hung-Yu is a proven MedTech operator. He previously drove project management for the surgical medical device startup Omnisurgica, where he successfully secured backing from the TMU Biomed Accelerator and BE Health Ventures, while executing grant acquisitions under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) Value Creation Program. This firsthand experience in navigating Taiwan's deep-tech funding ecosystem is vital to executing 33MED's non-dilutive capital roadmap.
Beyond startup operations, Hung-Yu possesses an extensive institutional network. As an active Board Member of the Taipei Medical University (TMU) College of Nursing Alumni Association and an experienced practitioner in high-stakes critical care environments, he is uniquely positioned to facilitate 33MED’s clinical pathways. He is responsible for establishing the collaborative hospital partnerships required to unlock access to clinical datasets for Phase 1 AI training, and laying the groundwork for fast-tracked IRB submissions for Phase 2 robotic trials.
Hung-Yu holds a Master’s in Sports Medicine from China Medical University and a Bachelor’s from Taipei Medical University. He has managed National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) laboratory projects and published clinical research in leading international peer-reviewed journals.