Evolutio Sports Physio
A three-level warehouse clinic built to feel warm rather than clinical. A ten-person team and more than 7,200 patients since 2013.
evolutio.com.au
Alex Drew
Clinic founder.
Conflict researcher.
Clinical investor advisor.
I'm drawn to the places where health, justice and good design meet. That's meant building clinics people actually want to walk into, investigating harm done to civilians, and sitting with people in detention whose voices weren't being heard. Now, from Madrid, I work in humanitarian settings and with health innovators building things that matter.
About
Alex Drew
I started Evolutio in 2013 because I wanted to create a special clinic: somewhere warm and inviting, and less clinical.
Somewhere practitioners could be themselves and show their personality, and patients could grab a coffee, relax and actually enjoy going to the physio. The three-level warehouse in Richmond and 7,200 patients is what happened next.
In 2020 I started a Master of Human Rights alongside running the clinic, not as a career pivot but because I couldn't stop thinking about it. That led to work with Airwars investigating civilian casualties in Ukraine, Gaza and Syria, with Human Rights Watch on refugee detention, and with the Australian Red Cross as a Humanitarian Observer in immigration detention. Alongside that, I coordinated national disaster relief across three states during the bushfires and floods of 2020 to 2022.
In 2025 I founded Ciclo Melbourne, the only clinic in Melbourne built purely around cyclists. In 2026 I moved to Madrid with my family, and took part in the 2026 emergency rehabilitation simulation exercise (SIMEX) in Lyon with the Rehabilitation Division of Humanity & Inclusion.
Experience
15+ years as a physiotherapist. Clinical practice, clinic direction and business operations across two founding roles.
Education
MA Human Rights, First Class Honours, Curtin University
BSc Physiotherapy, Curtin University
Commendation in Human Rights (2020 & 2021)
BSc Physiotherapy, Curtin University
Commendation in Human Rights (2020 & 2021)
Humanitarian
Airwars, Human Rights Watch, Australian Red Cross, Disaster Relief Australia. Humanity & Inclusion rehabilitation SIMEX, Lyon (2026). Australian Defence Service Medal.
Clinics
Credentials
AHPRA registered physiotherapist. CrossFit Coach. Powerlifting Coach. Dry needling. Professional Spanish.
7,200+
Patients through Evolutio
15+
Years as a physiotherapist
10
Person team, from a solo practice
3
Disaster relief deployments
Clinics
Evolutio, Ciclo and HomeRun
Ciclo Melbourne
Melbourne's cycling healthcare headquarters: physiotherapy, bike fits, performance coaching, dietetics and strength under one roof.
ciclomelbourne.com.au
HomeRun Melbourne
Running physiotherapy for Melbourne runners, from first 5k to marathon, as part of the same clinic network.
homerunphysio.com.auExperience
Clinics, research and humanitarian work
2013
Founded Evolutio Sports Physio, Richmond
2020
Began MA Human Rights. First DRA deployment
2021
Airwars, HRW and Red Cross detention work
2022
Stepped back from clinical work to finish the MA
2025
Founded Ciclo Melbourne
2026
Moved to Madrid. HI rehabilitation SIMEX, Lyon
Evolutio · Est. 2013
Founder & Director
Solo practice to a ten-person team in a three-level Richmond warehouse. 7,200 patients from Victoria, interstate and twelve countries. I owned revenue strategy, hiring, culture, marketing and professional development from day one, with no business background. Stepped back from clinical work in 2022 and still direct Evolutio and Ciclo.
“Hire slower than you think you need to. The culture sets in the first six months.”evolutio.com.au
Ciclo Melbourne · Est. 2025
Founder
Evolutio had treated cyclists seriously since 2013, and Melbourne still had no clinic built only around them. So I built one: physiotherapy, bike fits, dietetics, performance coaching, strength and pilates under one roof. Tested positioning, pricing and the service model before committing, and built referral networks in the cycling community from scratch.
“Brand comes from what you actually do, not what you say you do.”ciclomelbourne.com.au
Investigative Researcher & Humanitarian Observer
Investigated civilian casualties from airstrikes in Ukraine, Gaza and Syria with Airwars, and worked with Human Rights Watch on refugee detention. As an Australian Red Cross Humanitarian Observer in immigration detention, I ran structured interviews with detainees, investigated medical welfare and discrimination concerns, and represented findings directly to government officials.
airwars.orgNational Operations & Mobilisation Coordinator
Three deployments across multiple states during the bushfire and flood emergencies. End-to-end operational planning, volunteer selection and vetting frameworks for dispersed teams, and working between police, emergency services, NGOs and local government with competing priorities and no time to resolve them slowly.
“Making a call that affects someone's safety, with incomplete information and no time to consult.”
Consulting
Where I can help
I advise on the things I've done myself: running clinics, health innovation and humanitarian healthcare.
01
Clinical Business Strategy & Operations
For clinic founders, allied health networks and healthcare investors.
I built Evolutio from a solo practice to a ten-person team, owning revenue, people, brand and financial planning. I didn't hire consultants to do it. If you're running, growing or investing in a clinic, I can tell you what works, and what looks great in a pitch deck but falls apart in practice.
02
Health Tech Clinical Advisory & Due Diligence
For founders and investors who need a clinician who understands business.
Most health tech is built by people who haven't treated a patient in years, and investors can't tell whether the clinical claims hold up. I review evidence bases, stress-test therapeutic claims, and judge whether a product fits how practitioners actually work. I've been the one deciding whether to adopt new tools.
03
Consumer Health Brand & Clinical Content
For health brands that need clinical credibility that's genuine, not borrowed.
I spent years deciding which products to use, recommend and stock. I know what makes a practitioner trust a brand and what makes them quietly put it in a drawer. I can review your claims, shape practitioner content, and explain how the profession really makes these decisions.
Location
Based in Madrid
The honest reason I moved: my partner is growing her jewellery business, Cleopatra's Bling, and Madrid is the right place to do it. We also wanted our daughter to grow up speaking Spanish and French, and to have an adventure while she's young enough to think it's normal.
Being in Europe has also turned out to be useful for Australian health companies expanding here.
Writing
Blog
Notes on health innovation, humanitarian healthcare, running clinics and what I'm learning along the way.
Contact
Get in touch
Email is the best way to reach me.