Investor Eye

Sofinnova Partners has played an important role in defining the medtech investment space for the past 50 years, helping bring to market a plethora of life-saving technologies, even when they appear, initially, to be risky.

Each year, Medtech Innovator whittles down a vast number of applicants to a relatively succinct shortlist of companies. Paul Grand, Medtech Innovator’s CEO, spoke to Medtech Insight about this process, as well as some of the broader trends impacting investment in medtech.

When a large medtech company sets up a venture fund, it typically invests in technologies that are adjacent to its pre-existing portfolio. Intuitive Surgical’s approach is different.

Keeping a firm grip on one’s IP is a cornerstone of most innovative businesses. However, Robert Cote, CEO of Cote Capital, believes that if the idea is good enough to keep close, it’s good enough to license out.

Times may look bleak for medtech investment. Public markets are down and VC is shyer than ever about spending money. Medtech Insight spoke to Antoine Papiernik of Sofinnova Partners to learn more about the path forward.

In this new series titled Getting Personal, we talk to new and veteran executives about the trials and tribulations in running a company while exploring their own motivations and passions. In this first edition, we talk to Sidney Collin, co-founder and CEO of De Oro Devices. Collin invented NexStride, a portable device to help overcome freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease patients, while studying biomedical engineering at the California Polytechnic State University in 2018. 

Medtech Insight interviewed the CEO of Ceros Financial Services and its investment banking division, Ceros Capital Markets, about the firm’s considerations for funding early-stage medtechs, and outlook for medtech fundraising, in this uncertain economic climate.

A panel of investors and leaders in healtech expects investment in health tech to decline, but still foresees opportunities for companies working on solutions that will transform overall health care such as AI, ML, mental health and health equity.

Quanta CEO John Milad outlines the transitional stage where a company begins to seek large-scale funding for the first time, and debates market valuations.

Unmet needs are at the core of Endeavour Vision’s investment strategy, accepting that payment models may need to change as patients become more directly involved in device development.

Novalis Biotech employs early targeted investments to produce returns, focusing on enabling technologies and risky ventures in diagnostics and digital health.

In an interview with Medtech Insight, Octopus Ventures partner Pooja Sikka explained the approach Octopus takes to investments, and the key challenges the fund wants to address.