Centese originated inside San Francisco-based medical device incubator TheraNova, where Evan Luxon worked as Partner in new product development. While researching the clinical benefit of an automated urine output monitoring device, a chance conversation with cardiac surgeons sparked a new idea. “They asked us if we could do something similar for chest drains,” Luxon recalled. “Those devices were even harder to manage, played an integral role in highly complex procedures, and hadn’t seen innovation in decades. That was the spark.” TheraNova founder Dan Burnett, MD, introduced Luxon to Randy Preston, an experienced, commercially focused operator with experience in cardiovascular markets. “Evan and I dove in, initially on nights and weekends,” said Preston. “We validated the clinical need, talked with leading surgeons from around the country, and explored whether innovating in this field could make a real impact in the lives of patients and healthcare more broadly.”