Sabera Sarwar Nina is a London-based world-class entrepreneur that was born and raised in Manchester, UK. Being issue of two electrical engineers, Sabera had a knack for innovation which resulted in her building her first basic automated gadget at the age of 11. Seeing how gifted Sabera was, her parents put effort into nourishing her creativity and technical skills which, after graduating high school, earned her a scholarship at Oxford university’s electrical engineering department from whom she graduated with honors.
After graduating from university, Sabera decided to put her years of experience in the field of robotics, which she earned through university and her own personal robotic inventions, into use by founding a robotics company which specializes in the field of medical robots and equipment.
The company, which she named Lifetech, managed to earn worldwide fame due to the innovative approach that it had especially since the medical field was really in need of being automated.
How did you get the idea of starting a medical-oriented robotics company?
Since childhood, I was fascinated by robots and, through my parents’ support and guidance, I tried my best to automate every function of our life at home. While growing up, I dedicated my time and effort into learning as much as I can about robots while also making use of the skills I learned. After graduating from university, I decided to start my own robotics company and it was then that I decided to focus on the medical field since it was lacking in terms of innovation and tech equipment.
That is exactly how Lifetech was born, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a dream come true for me.
How do you make money?
My company’s mission is to provide the medical sector with what it needs in terms of high-tech equipment and gadgets. Due to the importance of the medical field in all societies, many health-related organizations, hospitals, and clinics contact us on the regular in order to provide them with the necessary equipment and medical robots in order to ensure the efficacity of their services and the satisfaction of their patients. Honestly, we are trying our best to make the best robots not just for profit but to also save lives since many patient’s health and life would depend on the equipment we provide.
How long did it take for you to become profitable?
While the medical field was lacking in terms of high-tech equipment, it was still hard to actually earn the trust of the clients. Still, we persisted through the hardships we encountered until we were able to make a name for ourselves. The moment we earned the trust and satisfaction of our first clients, Lifetech took off and we were able to access the international market and stand up to other older competitors in the field.
Did you ever doubt your company’s potential? And if yes, how did you handle that?
At first, we had one big doubt that actually limited our potential. The doubt was how we could actually provide the intended high-tech robots that would be efficient enough to not only get us new clients but to also save lives. However, we managed to bypass that problem through the help of my brother who is a medical doctor, since he provided us with tips on what is actually needed in the robots we are going to provide. It was then that we, slowly but steadily, managed to make the needed equipment and robots according to the needed specifications in the marketplace.
How did you get your first customer?
Through my brother’s suggestion, we donated our first robots to a non-profit medical organization so that they can use them to help people. Being impressed with our robots’ performance, the organization spread word about the quality of our equipment, and that was how we managed to get more clients and start our own network of connections in the field.
What is one marketing strategy that you’re using that does the job of generating new business?
Being one of the few robotics companies that specialize in the medical field, all we needed was to make quality equipment and let it speak for itself. It was through that that we earned more and more clients which, on the long run, helped us make a huge worldwide network that enabled us to reach great success without actually suffering from the hardships we faced at the beginning of our project. On top of that, we are actively engaging with the medical and the robotics communities in order to gather as much data as possible regarding what is needed in the fields and also what new technologies the world is actually experiencing, and that is all done in order for us to be creative in our goal of being pioneers in the field of medical robotics.
What is the toughest decision you’ve had to make in the last few months?
Due to the current COVID 19 outbreak, I have been unable to see my family, friends, nor loved ones and that is all due to my work which obligates me to be on the frontlines and be as close as possible to the medical field and, by extension, doctors and hospitals. That, however, doesn’t limit me nor the company in terms of creativity since that in fact gives us more room to operate and be a better version of ourselves in both the fight against the virus and also in keeping our position stable in the field.
What do you think it is the secret behind your success?
It is not really a secret but rather than that, it is hard work and passion. I chose robotics out of my love for making robots, and I chose to operate in the medical field out of passion for helping to make humans’ quality of life easier and better.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
A year ago, I was surprised by the visit of the director of a hospital we worked with beforehand. What surprised me wasn’t the visit by itself but it was the director’s joy as he thanked me for the high-quality robots we provided a while ago. He said that while we were paid to make the robots, it was up to us to make them as good as possible and it was due to our dedication and good work that many lives were saved because of our robots. At that moment, I felt a form of pride in my life’s work and how it actually saved lives on top of providing my company with income.
Are you willing to be a mentor? If so, how should someone contact you?
Yes, I am willing to be a mentor. I was lucky to have had great parents who actually helped me through my journey and taught me all I know, and that is why I feel obliged to actually spread that knowledge and let this flame that I was entrusted with burn even brighter on a larger scale. If anyone is actually interested, they can just come to the company’s main office and ask for an appointment, and I would be more than happing to meet them and provide guidance.