From Research Lab to MedTech Powerhouse: How Miguel Azevedo and Qity Are Redefining Innovation Without the Hype

In this episode of Bright Founders Talk, we sit down with Miguel Azevedo, the Co-Founder and COO of Qity, a company at the intersection of technology and healthcare innovation. With a rich and diverse background that spans computer science, medical engineering, neuroscience, and even American history, Miguel is a rare blend of technologist and thinker. 

His unconventional academic path reflects a deep curiosity and an eagerness to explore ideas far beyond traditional career boundaries. During our conversation, Miguel shared insights on leadership, highlighting the power of trust and clear direction in building effective teams. Rather than micromanaging, he believes in empowering "A-players" to take initiative and drive results. 

Outside of work, Miguel finds solace in reading—ranging from science fiction to medical texts—carving out quiet moments amid a busy schedule. His approach to both career and relaxation reveals a thoughtful, self-driven mindset that values learning for the joy of it. Join us as we explore the journey of a founder who proves that intellectual curiosity can be a powerful force in business leadership.

“Point the Way, Then Get Out of the Way”: Miguel’s Take on Leadership, Learning, and Late-Night Reads

When Miguel talks about leadership, he doesn’t bring out buzzwords or corporate jargon. Instead, he paints a picture of calm confidence—someone who knows that the best leaders aren’t always the loudest voices in the room. “You just need to point the direction,” he says, “and the right people will take it from there.” His belief in surrounding himself with "A-players" allows him to skip the micromanaging and focus on strategy. It’s a style built on trust, clear communication, and letting people do what they do best without hovering over their shoulders. According to Miguel, when a leader successfully outlines the mission, they don't need to meddle—they just make tiny course corrections along the way.

After a full day of leading, building, and solving, Miguel doesn’t crash on the couch with Netflix. Nope—he cracks open a sci-fi novel. His downtime ritual is simple: wait for the kids to go to bed, grab a book, and disappear into a world of pages. “I read, almost exclusively,” he smiles, pointing to a shelf that’s half neuroscience and half space operas. It’s his favorite escape from the digital world, especially after juggling global schedules that sometimes stretch into midnight hours. The irony? While many unwind with screens, Miguel finds peace in the quiet weight of a book.

His curiosity isn’t limited to leisure reading—it’s a lifelong engine. Miguel never really had a single career dream as a kid, which may explain the wild academic ride he's been on: a degree in computer science, a stint in medical engineering, a doctorate in neuroscience, and, just for good measure, a Master’s in American history. “I couldn’t pick one thing to be,” he admits, “so I decided to be many.” None of those paths were strategic career moves—they were just things that sparked joy. That same instinct fuels his work today, proving that sometimes, passion-driven exploration can lead to the most unexpected places.

“Think for Yourself, But Stay Open”: Miguel on Education, Early Wins, and Advice That Sticks

For Miguel, university wasn’t about memorizing equations he’d never use again—it was about learning how to think. While some people walk away from their degrees complaining they didn’t prepare them for the “real world,” Miguel sees it differently. “Even if you suck at your area of studies, if you can complete projects, communicate well, and work hard—you’ll be a decent nine-to-fiver,” he says with a grin. But that’s the thing—he’s not interested in just getting by. Miguel believes that undergrad teaches foundational life skills: how to take an idea to the finish line, how to collaborate, and how to stay accountable. Those lessons stuck with him far more than any textbook ever did.

His first real taste of success came early—and with a bang. Miguel developed and sold his first software product while still doing university research. “It was a self-learning intrusion detection system... and yeah, it even sent SMS alerts,” he says, laughing about how cutting-edge that felt in 2004. At a time when phones barely had color screens, the ability to receive an instant security notification was mind-blowing. That little innovation—15% of the reason he says he made the sale—set the stage for a career built on not just building smart things, but on knowing how to make people care about them.

Looking back, Miguel credits one essential skill with carrying him through every stage of his career: the ability to think critically and filter the noise. “Most advice is well-intentioned—but not always right for your context,” he says. That’s the catch—being open to learning while also staying grounded in your own instincts. He calls it a practice, something you sharpen over time. The trick? Listen more than you talk, take it all in, then reframe it in your own way. It’s advice he learned through trial, error, and “a lot of blood on the wall.” But it’s also what’s helped him build a career on his own terms—thoughtfully, and with purpose.

From Glucose Monitors to Game-Changing QMS: How Miguel and Team Built Qity Without a Sales Team

Miguel didn’t set out to start a company—he just wanted a better way to do his job. While working on a glucose monitor project across Europe and the U.S., he and his team ran into a familiar pain: clunky quality management systems. Everything felt stuck in the past—digital versions of filing cabinets, paper signatures, and barely any automation. So they asked the big question: what if we built the QMS we actually wanted to use? That was the spark for Qity, a company founded not by business strategists or serial entrepreneurs, but by five people who simply knew the system could be better.

Here’s the wild part: Qity launched without a sales team. No cold calls. No pitch decks. Just a crew of experts doing seriously good work. “Word of mouth,” Miguel shrugs, as if it’s the most natural marketing strategy in the world. Their team helped companies navigate gnarly regulatory requirements, like getting devices through the FDA. And when the experience was good, clients talked—and more came. “Odds are, if you work with us once, you’ll want to do it again,” he says. That’s not cocky—it’s confidence rooted in results.

The secret sauce? Everyone on the founding team is top-tier in their niche. Usability engineering, FDA validation, regulatory strategy—you name it. And while Qity’s big vision is building the best quality management system in the world, its growth so far has been driven by something refreshingly old school: trust. “The purpose of Qity is to develop the world’s best quality management system,” Miguel says plainly. And judging by the fact they’ve thrived without a single sales rep, they’re doing something very, very right.

“Build What the Market Needs, Not Just What You Love”: Miguel on Founders, Failures & Forward Thinking

When Miguel talks about starting Qity with four other co-founders, it sounds less like a risky leap and more like assembling a dream band that already knew how to jam together. “We’d worked together before and knew we actually liked it,” he says. That chemistry was the secret weapon—they didn’t waste time figuring out who did what or how to collaborate. They simply picked up where they left off, swapped the glucose monitor for a new mission, and hit the ground running. And that’s what made the transition from research project to startup not just smooth, but surprisingly fast.

But ask Miguel what advice he’d give to an aspiring founder, and he doesn’t romanticize it. In fact, he flips one of startup culture’s favorite mantras on its head. “Just because you love building it doesn’t mean people will buy it,” he says. It’s a lesson he learned the hard way—like many of the best ones. Back in 2009, strapped for cash, Miguel launched German Speaking Jobs, a wildly unsexy but incredibly practical platform that matched German speakers with global service centers. No background in it, no personal passion—just a sharp read on what the market actually wanted. That one took off. His carefully crafted cybersecurity tools from the same time? Not so much.

Now, with Qity growing strong and a roadmap in sight, Miguel has his eyes set on two things: launching their polished QMS to the market and expanding their services into every corner of medtech. Recently, they even added a new vertical in Clinical Affairs—an area they resisted for years until demand made it impossible to ignore. As Miguel puts it, Qity is becoming a one-stop shop for all things medical innovation. And five years from now? He’s not picturing a glitzy exit or chasing unicorn status. He’s imagining a company that’s simply known across the industry for excellence—doing great work, with great people, for the right reasons.