While artificial intelligence and robotics often dominate conversations about the future of healthcare, one of the most expensive and overlooked challenges hospitals face today is operating room coordination. Every day, hospitals lose several hours of valuable OR time—not because surgeries take longer than expected, but due to inefficiencies between procedures, including manual scheduling, poor communication, and uncertain room turnover.

In a recent episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, TechCrunch AI Editor Russell Brandom sat down with Conor McGinn, co-founder and CEO of Akara. The company was recently recognized in Time’s Best Inventions of 2025 and is developing a system that functions like air traffic control for hospitals. Akara combines thermal sensors with AI to give medical teams real-time visibility into how operating rooms are being used.

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