A New Chapter for Device VCs

This article first appeared in the March 2009 issue of Start-Up. The current economic crisis is hard on everyone, including investors and start-ups. But the news isn't all bad for medical device VCs. Those with capital will find the prices to be right in today's depressed economy. On the flip side, those venture firms without new funds or sufficient reserve capital will get penalized by declining valuations and punitive terms offered up by some new investors in their companies. Medical device companies, meanwhile, face tougher scrutiny from investors. During all this, both VCs and start-ups must answer new questions being posed by regulatory bodies, public investors, corporate acquirers, and potential customers.