Sonaro: Advancing AI‑Powered Stroke Risk Assessment

Karina Gasbarrino, PhD, CEO and co‑founder of Sonaro, is building technology that makes stroke‑risk assessment faster, more accurate and accessible in everyday clinical settings. Motivated by personal experience with stroke in her own family, Karina brings both scientific expertise and deep purpose to her work.

Sonaro’s innovation, Vaso3D™, uses artificial intelligence to convert any standard 2D ultrasound probe into a 3D diagnostic tool. Traditional carotid ultrasound can take up to an hour and depends heavily on operator skill. Vaso3D™ generates a 3D model of the carotid artery in minutes, without requiring specialized training.

Karina joined District 3’s Launch & Grow program to strengthen Sonaro’s clinical adoption strategy and ensure the product integrates seamlessly into existing workflows.

“Talking to clinicians helped us understand how important it is to keep the workflow simple and make the technology easy to use,” she explains.

As a founder navigating medtech, clinical validation and fundraising, Karina highlights resilience, passion and learning as essential.

“There are so many challenges. You have to stay open to feedback, keep learning and stay grounded in why you are building.”

Community has played a key role in her journey.

“District 3 gives me a space where I feel less alone as a founder. Having people who understand the challenges makes all the difference.”

Sonaro is now preparing for clinical studies and regulatory milestones, with the goal of bringing Vaso3D™ to market and enabling earlier, more equitable stroke‑risk detection for patients everywhere.