Carlos Granada, co-founder of LearUp Systems, says his vision for the AI-powered, cloud-based platform is to be the “Airbnb of clinical trials,” matching startups who have MedTech solutions with the hospitals whose patients would benefit. LearUp is the newest participant in Fogarty’s company accelerator program (CAP) as it aims to scale its groundbreaking clinical trial productivity system.
The platform is designed to revolutionize clinical trial management by accelerating and streamlining the entire process through better collaboration between stakeholders, ultimately reducing timelines, boosting enrollment, and ensuring data compliance. “Clinical trials are becoming increasingly more expensive, so our goal is to help startups run them faster and more cost-effectively,” said Granada. “And of course, the earlier they can get the products to market, the sooner those products can make a difference in the lives of patients.”
The platform delivers compelling results—with early data indicating a 20% reduction in clinical study timeline duration; a 24% decrease in the costs of trial execution; a 40% increase in subject enrollment rates, and a 92% increase in subject data collected.
Automating workflows accelerates time to market
Unlike traditional systems, LearUp is a real-time smart productivity system that actively connects data silos, automates routine processes, and provides actionable insights to keep trials on track. The concept was built on needs Granada observed over 26 years in the medtech field, where he’s held roles spanning product development, regulatory affairs, clinical quality and site management, and worked routinely with stakeholders from project managers to investigators.
“From my first startup until now, the challenges in clinical trials haven’t changed—and they still result from delays at every stage, whether it’s selecting the right clinical sites, managing enrollment, reviewing data, coordinating investigators, or cleaning datasets,” he said. “We saw the value in creating an interconnected system that brings all these disparate tools onto one platform. Each stakeholder maintains their own role, process, and responsibilities, but with shared data and closer collaboration, everyone can work more efficiently.”
The system is built around several integrated modules that support project management, site management, document management, safety management, regulatory oversight and clinical monitoring. For example, through LearUp, companies can identify clinical sites that fit their study needs and connect with investigators who have the right experience. Throughout the process, the system also checks that all uploaded documents meet compliance requirements; an outdated or unsigned investigator CV, for instance, is flagged immediately. “We’re trying to act as an assistant—helping teams stay in compliance every day, because they have to be audit-ready at any moment,” Granada explained.
Companies can also reduce spend on clinical trial experts or consultants, with Granada estimating they can cut oversight headcount in half.
“As we scale, we’ll have the opportunity to make a very big impact in clinical trials and the medical device industry,” Granada says.
From concept to reality
Granada started the company in 2021 with a proof of concept, working on a randomized clinical trial of more than 3,000 patients with Dr. Valentin Fuster at Mount Sinai, New York.
In this proof of concept. the LearUp platform performed effectively and accelerated administrative tasks and improved tracking of status of trial data. “Our goal was to keep improving, until we decided it was ready to scale,” Granada said.
In 2024, he incorporated LearUp as a standalone company, financed organically through friends, family and self-funding. Currently, the company has 12 team members, and has also partnered with two other companies that are part of the clinical trial ecosystem to outsource functions such as quality management, regulatory business management, finance and HR.
Finding community at Fogarty
Now that LearUp has a system, contracts and revenue, the time is right to accelerate, and Granada sees great promise in joining Fogarty’s CAP program. “It was an easy decision for us, as we’re focused on putting the right pieces in place—structure, strategy, and the groundwork needed to secure additional funding and grow the company,” he said. “Even though we have an experienced team, there’s more we can learn from subject matter experts about how to build a company, how to establish governance, how to create value for shareholders and how to bring this to market faster.”
Granada has been impressed by the personal touch he’s experienced—from the Fogarty team’s willingness to answer any question to their cooperation and speed in putting him in touch with important connections. “Fogarty is a community, and collaboration is what communities do. That’s what I’ve appreciated the most, especially since collaboration is one of our core values.”