In our new documentary series Backstory we’re profiling the extraordinary Group Partners at the heart of YC. And we’re kicking it off with Surbhi Sarna, YC’s first healthcare and biotech focused Group Partner. In 2018 Surbhi Sarna sold her company nVision for $275 million to one of the world’s leading healthcare companies. But to understand how Surbhi got where she is today, you have to go back to her sophomore year in high school, when a cancer scare upended her life and set her on an entirely new path.

In this episode Surbhi opens up about her health scare, how it impacted her life going forward and how she was able to ignore the people who doubted her along the way. If you've ever felt undervalued or under appreciated, Surbhi's story will provide you with insights and advice on how to overcome those hurdles on your journey to starting a company.

Apply to Y Combinator: https://yc.link/Backstory-apply
Work at a Startup: https://yc.link/Backstory-jobs

Chapters (Powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) -
00:00 - Backstory
01:00 - Problem with Ovarian Cyst
02:39 - How nVision Medical was Born?
03:34 - Working as an Engineer and Starting a Company
04:24 - Validating the Idea
05:52 - Fundraising to Build a Prototype
06:14 - Investors Reaction to Women's Health
06:45 - Difficulty as a Female Founder
07:22 - Getting Funded
08:13 - Acquisition by Boston Scientific
09:51 - First YC Healthcare and Bio Partner
11:10 - Outro: Being a Group Partner at YC

Archival school footage provided courtesy of Ryan Briggs