In our new documentary series Backstory we profile the extraordinary group partners at the heart of YC. And we kick 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 to where she is today, you have to go back to her sophomore year of high school, when a cancer scare turned her life upside down and set her on a whole new path.

In this episode, Surbhi talks about her health scare, how it affected 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 underappreciated, Surbhi's story will give you insights and advice on how to overcome these hurdles on your journey to starting a business.

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

Chapters (powered by https://bit.ly/chapterme-yc) –
00:00 – Backstory
01:00 – Ovarian cyst problem
02:39 – How nVision Medical was born?
03:34 – Working as an engineer and starting a business
04:24 – Validation of the idea
05:52 – Fundraising to build a prototype
06:14 – Investor reaction to women's health
06:45 – Difficulties 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

Archive images of the school, courtesy of Ryan Briggs

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