Ashmita Kumar on LinkedIn: A post on our advisor, Dr. D. Martin Alexander Gershon, MD, JD, MPH and… (2024)

🚀 Unlocking Biotech's Potential with a $900M Key! 🧬Foreside Capital's latest $900 million venture fund isn't just about the big numbers; it's a bellwether for where smart money is placing its bets in the field of biotech. In a climate where AI and machine learning are rewriting the rules of healthcare innovation, this considerable cash injection signifies more than just financial backing—it's a vote of confidence in the transformative power of these technologies to change lives.Foresite's focus on early-stage biotech startups, particularly those harnessing AI for healthcare leaps, aligns perfectly with the market's appetite for smarter, faster, and more precise medical solutions. With their incredible funding track record and strategic investments in companies like Xaira Therapeutics, Foresite isn't just chasing trends – they're setting them.Here are 5 key insights from their approach:1. Emphasis on AI-driven biotech innovation2. Investment in precision medicine and DNA sequencing tech3. An eye for startups with clear commercialization paths4. Strategic focus on M&A opportunities5. Broad investment range targeting ~20 companieshttps://lnkd.in/e6SAhQNB

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When I started working at NLC - The European Healthtech Venture Builder, not many people knew NLC. I always said: We are Europe's (and nowadays I say the world's) best-kept secret in healthcare and impact investing. Slowly, but surely, we are less of a secret. And this article proves that! Sifted mentioned us as #Europe's largest early-stage #investor in healthcare. Next-up --> Show that we are the world's largest early-stage healthcare venture builder!Also.. interested in becoming part of NLC as an investor? We opened our funding round for smaller ticket sizes, starting at €1000. --> www.wefunder.com/nlchealth Let's bring science to life! #growth #healthcare #impact #impactinvesting #startup #scaleup #medtech #biotech #digitalhealth

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Sifted mentioned us as #Europe's largest early-stage #investor in healthcare. 💥Next-up --> Show that we are the world's largest early-stage healthcare venture builder!Let's bring science to life! 🧬🔬🧪👩🏼🔬👩🏼💻🧫💚#growth #healthcare #impact #impactinvesting #startup #scaleup #medtech #biotech #digitalhealth

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A brief of our research onVC trends in biotech and where longevity and new technologies fit in👇VC Trends in Biotech- Series A to IPO: Only about 1.8% of Series A companies reach IPO without further funding. As companies progress through Series B and C, their IPO probability increases.- 40% advance to Series B.- 20% progress to Series C with a post-valuation of $800M, and another 20% go for IPO.- Around 3% of VC-backed biopharma startups are acquired annually, with typical upfront payments ranging from $300M-$500M.Between 2018 and 2021, the strategy was to engage Series B investors (crossover investors) skilled in identifying IPO potential companies. Tech investors have recently shown interest in biotech, diversifying their investment targets. Despite new players in Series A investments, crossover investors remain vital for IPO. The new opportunity lies in bypassing these crossover investors for IPOs.Post-IPO Biotech Landscape- Biotech companies can go public without a finalized product, relying on the promise of a solution. In contrast, tech companies usually have a product but must demonstrate market demand.- Investors have transitioned from funding specialized companies (one drug, one disease) to broader platforms where one discovery can tackle multiple diseases, seeking diversification and reduced risk. Yet, many recent breakthroughs originated from specialized, single hypothesis firms.- Since 2010, over 500 biotech startups went public, with 32 being acquired for more than $1B. Companies with de-risked or high-demand products outperform others. Public equity prefers innovative products over broad platforms.- SPACs generally underperformed, with a significant portion of the top underperformers being platform biotech firms.Big Pharma- The M&A budget of big pharmaceutical companies is$1.7 trillion! Their reserves could potentially buy all listed biotech companies.- Major pharmaceutical companies are reducing R&D investments due to low innovation and subpar stock performance. They average a 2-5% return on R&D investments, while new biotech startups achieve 5%-10%.- There's a need for enhanced R&D efficiency through innovative approaches and better tools. Most startups can predict FDA approval but struggle to forecast commercial success.Opportunities- The focus should be on innovative methodologies (healthspan, longevity, prevention etc.) and embracing new technologies (Generative AI, blockchain etc.)- There's a need to tackle diseases at their root.- A shift towards a more capital-efficient virtual biotech model eliminating the need for physical labs.#longevity #healthspan #VC #biotech

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🧬 “In digital health today, the first question to understand is if you have a go-to-market [strategy]. The go-to-market and the business plan are really the first things that I look at.”- Renana Ashkenazi, Grove Ventures’ General Partner, was interviewed in The Wall Street Journal Pro Newsletter where she talked about her approach to investing in healthtech #startups. Read her interview below: Find the link to Renana's Genomics blogpost referenced in the interview in the first comment: ☟#healthcare #venturecapital #Deep_Future

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The Venture Capital market related to Med Tech & Digital Health feels broken, and in many ways no longer meets the needs of early stage Founders & CEO's in our space. Conversely, Private Equity is being reimagined, morphing the way they do business to capitalize on the opportunity created by these market dynamics. Ajax Health is one such PE company. Their platform strategy is a bold one, and is enjoying massive success. It begins w/ investing in, or creating an anchor company in a high growth market. Then additional products (usually with a short regulatory pathway) are created internally or invested in thru via early stage companies, that can be bolted on to the platform, thereby increasing the product portfolio and value of the organization. They did this w/ Cordis a few years ago in the interventional cardiology/vascular arena. Also, a few weeks ago they announced a new platform, Maverix Medical, a joint venture with KKR & Hologic, Inc., that is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of lung diseases. And just last week, Ajax announced the creation of Cortex EP, a joint venture with KKR & , which will develop an integrated mapping and ablation solution suite for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AFib). Another path is being forged by other PE firms in our space, where gaps are identified in the product portfolio of a large strategic. If Interest (on the behalf of the strategic) in purchasing a company/product that meets a strict set of criteria can be established, then the PE firm goes and builds it thru internal development or investment in early stage companies. This takes the guess work out of building a company, and hoping that there will ultimately be an interested suitor that is motivated to acquire it.How is this different from VC investment? For starters, PE firms are actually spending money right now. Secondly, Most PE firms are loaded with ex-operators, execs that have turned the wrench in industry, usually with a considerable amount of success. The value of their insights and advisory to the the companies they invest in cannot be overstated. And lastly, PE firms are highly adept at leveraging efficiencies across their portfolio companies. It's not to say that VC is left for dead in our business. When the tides shift, and their appetite for investment returns, I am sure there will be plenty start-ups excited about the prospect of securing VC investment. But these new approaches by PE do offer a unique value proposition to the market, one that I think may markedly shift the funding landscape moving forward.

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We all know how bumpy the road can get while building a Medtech startup. Some are making significant breakthroughs, while others face major hurdles. These panelists know what it takes to build a successful company and have also seen things take a turn for the worst.At #LSIUSA24, this panel of seasoned investors and innovators will confront the harsh realities in building and financing Medtech ventures. They’ll share their personal experiences, highlighting the strategies they've used to overcome obstacles, the critical moments that needed a pivot, and their approaches to unforeseen challenges.We’ll hear perspectives from:• Jonathan Norris (Moderator), Managing Director at HSBC Innovation Banking, helps investors understand and analyze historical and current market trends around investments and returns, and assists CEOs and C-level management with equity and debt strategy, business plans, exit comps and access to capital.• Anita Watkins, Managing Director at Rex Health Ventures, works with companies to evaluate fit and with portfolio companies to deliver on strategic investment by leveraging expertise within UNC REX Healthcare and across UNC Health Care.• Daniel Hawkins is CEO of Vista.ai. He is a co-founder of Calibra Medical, acquired by Johnson & Johnson, and founder of Shockwave Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: SWAV). With 30 years of experience in the Medtech field he has held roles in both large and emerging companies, including Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., Endologix, Restore Medical, EnteroMedics, and Intuitive Surgical.• Sean J. Cheng, Managing Director at Ascension Ventures, leads early-stage investments in healthcare and life sciences, leveraging his 15+ years of experience in business, technology, and regulatory domains ranging from Fortune 500s to start-ups to government agencies.• Martin Omid A., Managing Director & Founder at Anthro Ventures, executes venture/growth investments in healthcare and technology companies targeting late-stage clinical and early commercial Medtech, Diagnostics, Digital Health and Healthcare Services companies.This panel is scheduled for March 20th. You can add this session, along with any of your other favorite sessions, to your calendar in the partnering app.

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A fundamental shift is occurring in early stage Med Tech funding. Two primary risks exist when building a successful Med Tech start-up, Regulatory & Commercial. Countless other may be identified...but these are the big two that keep most founders up at night.Never before has it been more difficult to commercialize a product in our space. Below are just a few of the factors contributing to the challenge:IDN/GPO contractsVAT/VAC committeesDecreased influence of key physicians who are now employed by the hospitalIT/Privacy challenges & concernsShifting centers of careDecreased access to decision makersReimbursem*ntAs such, Founders are looking for more in their investors than just an ability to stroke a check. They need investors that can add value in the company. Many VC's in our space have little operator experience in the industry. So their ability to provide value to the company beyond treasury is somewhat limited. Two options for investment (outside of traditional VC) have risen in popularity as of late...Private Equity (PE) & Health System VC. At least23 health systemscurrently have venture capital arms (Ascension, Cleveland Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic, UPMC to name a few). Recently,General Catalysttook the concept one step further, announcing plans to acquire Ohio-based health systemSumma Health. They will use the health system as a deployment space for their portfolio companies’ technology — hoping to develop a blueprint for what a truly tech-enabled health system could look like.The article below outlines nicely why this trend is occurring, and the primary benefits of bringing on a Health System as a VC partner. The upside seems obvious. I am wondering if there might be any potential downsides of choosing this type of partner during a capital raise???

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The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds: Metsera And Rivos Lead a Slower Week ⤵️1) Metsera, $290M, biotech: New clinical-stage biopharmaceutical startup debuted from stealth, backed by $290 million in funding led by ARCH Venture Partners.2) Rivos, $250M, semiconductor: This week, Santa Clara, California-based chip startup Rivos raised more than $250 million in a Series A-3 funding led by Matrix Capital Management Company, L.P.3) Ramp, $150M, fintech: Ramp saw a nice bump in its valuation this week, raising a $150 million round at a post-money valuation of $7.65 billion — neary 32% higher than its value in August.4) TWO CHAIRS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GROUP, A PSYCHOLOGY CORPORATION, $72M, healthcare: This $72 million Series C funding round, consisting of a blend of debt and equity, was led by Amplo and Fifth Down Capital, with the equity portion unspecified.5) Cape, $61M, mobile: Arlington, VA-based company raised a $61 million round led by A* and Andreessen Horowitz. 6) Avive Solutions Inc., $57M, healthcare: SF-based defibrillator developer, raised $56.5M led by Catalyst Health Ventures Follow On Fund LP, Laerdal Million Lives Fund, and Questa Capital Management.7) Asher Biotherapeutics, $55M, biotech: a SF startup developing immunotherapies, closed a $55M Series C led by RA Capital Management.8) Corner Therapeutics, $54M, biotech: Watertown, Massachusetts-based Corner Therapeutics, an immunotherapy company, raised $54 million led by Ziff Capital Partners. 9) Kontakt.io, $48M, artificial intelligence: NY's Kontakt.io, providing facility movement analytics, raised $47.5M led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management.10) Anvilogic, $45M, cybersecurity: Palo Alto, California-based security information and event management startup Anvilogic closed a $45 million Series C led by Evolution Equity Partners.

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Think global, act local. This motto we always give our portfolio startups a boost to follow, and also do it for ourselves as a venture builder. This week Vladislav Lurye Co-founder and Partner of EXPANSE Capital - Baltic Life Science Venture builder, participated in a meetup about "Technology Transfer" hosted in Israelfor professionals in the Health Tech field.This event provided an excellent opportunity to expand one's network within the Digital Health sphere and learn more about partnership opportunities in licensing and commercialization with innovators and transnational corporations collaborating with leading universities in Israel and the United States.Prominent Health Tech accelerators from Israel and the USA presented at the event:- Baptist Health Innovations :A non-for-profit organization dedicated to medical excellence, supported by philanthropy, with renowned centers of excellence in cancer, cardiovascular care, orthopedics, sports medicine, and neurosciences.- :The catalyst for health innovation emerging from the Hadassah University Medical Center ecosystem. Hadasit fosters innovation through external services, collaborations with companies, a biohouse for startups, a digital health accelerator, as well as internal efforts like nurturing internal innovation, the Hadassah seed fund, and the Jerusalem biodesign program.- YEDA - Technology Transfer Company of Weizmann Institute of Science:The commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, responsible for commercializing the unique intellectual property developed by the institute's scientists under an exclusive agreement.

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