Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Oliver Keown, Oath Surgical

25- Aug-2026

Today, Beck Bamberger sits down with Oliver Keown, CEO and founder of Oath Surgical, a healthcare company building advanced outpatient surgical centers designed to deliver high-quality care at a lower cost.

Drawing on Oliver’s experience as a physician, venture capitalist, founder, and patient, Oath Surgical combines technology, premium physical centers, and partnerships with independent surgeons to rethink how and where surgery is delivered.

Oliver shares his journey from practicing medicine in the UK to venture capital and eventually becoming a founder in the U.S., along with the highs and lows of building a healthcare company. From treating the first patient at a new surgical center and navigating founder relationships to expanding into new markets and supporting surgeon independence, this conversation explores what it takes to build a new model of surgical care while keeping human connection at the center.

show notes:

00:00 - Developing advanced surgical centers

05:34 - Pursuing a diverse career path

09:34 - First patient at surgical center

10:47 - Navigating relationships as a founder

15:03 - Expanding surgical centers and partnerships

18:48 Importance of surgeon partnerships

19:46 Surgeons' need for better tools

23:32 Healthcare consolidation trends

Read More About The Episode:

00:00 — Developing advanced surgical centers
Oliver explains the vision behind Oath Surgical: technology-enabled, premium outpatient surgical centers built to provide high-quality care without the overhead of traditional hospitals. By moving appropriate procedures into more efficient settings, he believes some surgical costs can be dramatically reduced.

05:34 — Pursuing a diverse career path
From practicing medicine in the UK to venture capital and eventually entrepreneurship in the U.S., Oliver’s career has taken several turns. Rather than seeing those transitions as disconnected, he discusses how his clinical and investment experience now informs the way he builds Oath.

09:34 — The first patient at a surgical center
One of Oliver’s biggest founder highs came when Oath treated its first patient at a new center. After all the planning, construction, partnerships, and operational work, seeing the model actually serve someone made the company’s mission tangible.

10:47 — Navigating relationships as a founder
Some of the hardest moments haven’t been operational—they’ve been interpersonal. Oliver discusses disappointments in partnerships, learning to develop thicker skin, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are genuinely aligned around the mission.

15:03 — Expanding surgical centers and partnerships
Scaling Oath requires more than opening new locations. The company is building relationships with surgeons, medtech companies, payers, employers, and value-based healthcare partners as it expands into additional markets.

18:48 — Why surgeon partnerships matter
Surgeons aren’t simply providers within Oath’s model; they’re key stakeholders. Oliver explains why building an ecosystem that works for independent surgeons is central to creating a better surgical experience for everyone involved.

19:46 — Surgeons need better tools
Independent surgeons often want more control over how they practice without having to build an entire healthcare infrastructure themselves. Oath aims to provide the technology, facilities, operational support, and collaborative platform that allows them to maintain that independence.

23:32 — Healthcare consolidation and the future of independence
Healthcare has experienced waves of consolidation, but Oliver believes the pendulum may be moving back toward independence. Technology and shared platforms could give physicians the infrastructure of a larger system without sacrificing autonomy. He also explains why Oath is using AI and technology to strengthen human care rather than automate away meaningful interactions between patients and providers.