How Alexander Ruebben Is Redefining Urology and Transforming Lives from Europe to Ukraine to North Africa
- Chole M
- Nov 20
- 4 min read
November 20, 2025
In the world of medical innovation, few founders combine scientific advancement, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian responsibility the way Alexander Ruebben does.
Of German–Italian heritage and born in Germany, Ruebben brings a uniquely European perspective to medical innovation — one shaped by both Italian compassion and German scientific discipline.
A medical doctor, inventor, and cross-border entrepreneur, Ruebben has spent the past decade building medical device companies across Europe — while protecting skilled workers in wartime Ukraine and expanding modern urology access in Africa.
Today, his companies manufacture drug-coated balloons used to treat and prevent strictures in both the vascular system and urinary tract. But the story of how he arrived here is far more complex — and far more human — than a typical medical startup narrative.
From Germany and Italy to Singapore: The Early Years of Innovation
Ruebben’s journey began between Germany and Italy, where he trained in emergency vascular interventions in Turin and later deepened his scientific focus in radiology at RWTH Aachen University. This early blend of compassion and precision shaped his medical philosophy.
In Aachen, he founded an advanced laboratory dedicated to high-end coating technologies for medical devices. His early innovations quickly attracted international attention, eventually leading to the acquisition of the German laboratory by a Singaporean medical group.
“It was my first major exit,” he recalls. “But more importantly, it showed me how global the medical world truly is — innovation doesn’t happen in one place.”
To support and expand operations, Ruebben also established a facility in Lithuania, producing high-precision catheter technologies. His first employees were of Russian origin — individuals who struggled to find work in post-Soviet Lithuania. Offering them opportunity became his first experience in using entrepreneurship to create stability and dignity for those on the margins.
Building the Future of Urology in Hungary
After the sale of the German lab, Ruebben expanded to Hungary, establishing a state-of-the-art production facility dedicated to drug-coated balloons.
It was here that he developed the ideas behind his latest patents — innovative concepts designed to prevent ureteral strictures after laser lithotripsy for kidney stones.
“Most medical companies focus on treatment,” he explains. “I focus on prevention. If you can stop strictures before they form, you save patients from years of pain, repeated procedures, and permanent damage.”
His patent-pending concepts represent one of the most disruptive developments in modern urology and are supported by more than a decade of clinical experience across Europe and South America.
Illustration of a drug-coated balloon catheter used to prevent ureteral and vascular strictures.
A Founder’s Humanitarian Turn: Protecting Ukrainian Engineers During War
When the war in Ukraine began, Ruebben faced a moment of profound responsibility. Many of his Ukrainian collaborators — chemists, physicians, and production workers — suddenly found themselves torn between safety concerns and military conscription.
Instead of withdrawing, he leaned in. He began employing Ukrainian specialists in Hungary and Lithuania, offering them safe relocation, stable income, and continuity of work. As the conflict prolonged, he began establishing a production facility in Lviv to classify these specialists as essential workers in medical device manufacturing — protecting them from frontline mobilisation.
The impact of this decision is significant. Dozens of Ukrainian specialists will be able to:
Stay safe
Support their families
Avoid conscription
Continue contributing to life-saving medical technologies
“The people I work with are not just employees,” Ruebben says. “They are families who deserve stability — especially during war.”
His companies stand out as a rare example of a European healthtech founder shielding Ukrainian engineers through employment, not charity.
A Personal Chapter: A Scientific Response to Grief
Beyond entrepreneurship and medicine, a deeply personal moment reveals another dimension of Ruebben’s life.
After the heartbreaking loss of his dog — a companion who had been with him for years — he turned to the frontier of animal cloning as a scientific response to grief. His experience was later featured in the Netflix documentary King of Clones.
“It wasn’t about vanity,” he explains. “It was grief — and a desire to understand how far science can help us hold onto what we love. It taught me humility and responsibility in the face of advanced biotechnology.”
This unusual chapter adds emotional depth to a career otherwise defined by rationality, science, and innovation.
Lithuania: A New Hub for Innovation and Growth
Today, Ruebben’s primary operations are based in Vilnius, Lithuania, where AR Baltic Medical manufactures its next-generation drug-coated balloon technologies. The company is accelerating rapidly, supported by:
Strong regional scientific talent
A stable EU production environment
More than 10 years of clinical data
Active collaborations in urology, vascular medicine, and tissue remodeling
His devices are used for:
Treating ureteral strictures
Treating vascular blockages
Preventing fibrotic remodelling after laser procedures
Supporting minimally invasive care across Europe and beyond
With FDA pathways soon underway, global expansion is the next strategic chapter.
Bringing Modern Urology to Africa: The Tunis Clinic Vision
In North Africa, access to advanced urology remains limited — especially minimally invasive treatment options. To change this, Ruebben is establishing a specialized urology clinic in Tunis, offering:
Affordable urethral dilatation
Advanced drug-coated balloon procedures
Local anesthesia options
European-standard treatment at accessible prices
“This is not about money,” he emphasizes. “It is about helping thousands of young men who suffer in silence, without access to modern urology.”
The clinic is expected to become the first of its kind in the region.
Carefully crafted medical technologies developed across AR Baltic Medical’s research and manufacturing centers in Europe.
A Founder Driven by Innovation and Responsibility
Ruebben’s career spans continents, crises, and industries. But the common thread is clear:
he uses entrepreneurship to lift people up — whether they are patients in Africa, engineers in Ukraine, or medical professionals across Europe.
His mission is simple but profound:
“To transform modern urology — and help people live better lives — through innovation, accessibility, and human responsibility.”
With patents ready for global commercialization, a humanitarian workforce model developed during war, and new clinics emerging in underserved regions, Alexander Ruebben is building far more than a medical company.
He is creating a cross-continental movement in minimally invasive care — one that blends science, compassion, and vision in a way few founders ever attempt.
And in doing so, he is redefining what it means to be a medical innovator in the 21st century.
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