Sean Mc Cullough

🌟 Capital for Cures: A New Platform for Healthcare Transformation 🌟 At the beginning of this year, Capital for Cures launched with a bold vision: to mobilize more capital for emerging healthcare companies and solutions. The mission is simple yet urgent—funding healthcare innovation shouldn’t rely solely on the pharmaceutical industry. By expanding our partner network, engaging with pension funds, insurance companies, and other investors, and securing foundational capital, we aim to cultivate the next wave of angel investors, foster collaboration, and provide innovators with the capital they need to thrive. How It Started The idea for Capital for Cures arose from a clear gap in the industry. Early-stage healthcare companies often struggle to secure critical funding, while traditional industry events fail to provide the intimate, action-driven forums needed for impactful collaboration. This inspired the creation of a platform dedicated to fostering meaningful connections among innovators, investors, and policymakers. Recent Milestones Earlier this month, our AI Roundtable in Basel brought together senior leaders from Swiss companies and big data providers involved in foundational AI models, highlighting the urgent need for companies to engage directly with regulators to shape practical AI policies. Additionally, the Capital for Cures event in Frankfurt reinforced the demand for forums like ours. Unlike large-scale conferences, these events showcased the power of action-oriented collaboration to unlock new opportunities. Our Vision for the Future We’re building a fully-fledged platform for transformation: Engaging New Investors: Attracting non-traditional investors, like pension funds and insurance companies, to unlock significant healthcare funding potential. Cultivating Angel Investors: Encouraging successful founders to reinvest in the ecosystem, fueling continuous innovation. Fostering Meaningful Connections: Bridging the gaps left by traditional conferences like Bio-Europe and JP Morgan. Next Steps We are raising $300k USD to scale our vision and mobilize more capital for healthcare innovation. Expanding our partner network is critical to supporting emerging companies and driving impactful change. Join Us Contribute to Our Advisory Board: Bring your expertise or recommend key leaders. Partner with Us: Offer financial or non-monetary support to help scale this transformative initiative. Participate in Upcoming Events: Join our next roundtable to shape the future of AI and healthcare. Together, we can build a brighter future for healthcare by empowering innovators, mobilizing investors, and influencing policies for meaningful change.

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You maybe never heard the backstory why I entered into the (c)VC industry as an ex-entrepreneur, intrapreneur & startup operator. I wanted to support amazing entrepreneurs, learn about new business models & technologies, invest in the companies that matched with the corporate mothership (insurance CVC) and help those businesses scale. But there is another reason .... ⚡ It's an industry wide-open for evolution and disruption by ... technology. Really? Yes ... "The VC investment process is broken It’s manual, inefficient, non-inclusive and biased." 💡 Excel has been the preferred tool for ages 💡 Human bias is all over the process 💡 Only the top 20% of VC's is datadriven (with a set of very advanced funds leading the pack like Moonfire, EQT Group, Redstone , ... ) ..... I have been considering the #VC industry as another industry that was in an urgent need for their 'digital transformation'. The acceleration of AI and GenAI was clearly THE momentum to leapfrog. 📢 "VCs need to become data-driven in search for efficiency, effectiveness, and inclusiveness" Over the last 4 days, I attended the first Data-Driven VC Summit 2024. A 4-day summit, +20 sessions and 600 investors/startups discussing the Datadriven VC across multiple domains and topics (sorry numbers are important 😎 Some (incomplete) snippets from 4 days packed with content:  * The different phases in the Investment process require different solutions & data (panel discussions) . No monoliths possible. * Getting the data and normalizing, maintaining, updating, ... them is a massive job (all sessions) * " I don't have to do every good deal, but every deal needs to be good" Mike Arpaia on deal quality versus adding sources * 'Buy or build' is clearly still a debate, with build taking the lead at the moment, with deal sourcing being an exception (buy)? Differentiation is a key motivation to build. * AI will have an impact on the investment process, but 'core people and leadership challenges' will be just as pressing (in scaling up) (Martin Mignot - Index Ventures) * Founder relationships and their impact on succes can be researched and evaluated using the same research on married couples (excellent insights by Prof. Dr. Theresa Treffers on conflict handling being the most predictive dimension) .... There was a LOT more content across all the talks, but hard to summarize here, even using #GenAI ;-) >------------- LET'S TALK 💬 If you consider upgrading your VC or CVC fund to become more data-driven (VC Platform roles), don't hesitate to reach out below to discuss: 💬 https://lnkd.in/e6kjakzF #VentureCapital #DataDrivenVC #GenerativeAI

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VCLink's Daily Round Report (Part 2) 8. Monica Molenaar and Anne Fulenwider's Alloy, a healthcare startup focused on menopause care, has raised $16 million in its Series A round led by Kairos HQ with participation from PACE Healthcare Capital, Emmeline Ventures, and Amboy Street Ventures. Alloy aims to expand further after moving from profitability to growth. https://lnkd.in/eF67upAy 9. Jorge Mazal’s Outsmart College, a still-stealth-mode edtech company co-founded by former Duolingo executives, has raised $13M in seed funding led by Khosla Ventures. The company is focused on tackling affordability in higher education, and has garnered additional support from Karman Ventures, Latitud, and Lightspeed. https://lnkd.in/enHyrUiq 10. LAKE (LAK3), led by a team in Geneva, has secured $12.4 million to reshape the global water economy through blockchain technology innovation. The round saw participation from investors like EMB Ventures, Artaize Invest, and MSM family office. https://lnkd.in/e7yz2H_6 11. MIND, a Seattle-based data protection startup, has raised $11 million in its seed round led by YL Ventures. The company is working to develop technology that helps mitigate data risks for prominent clients like Guild, Akamai, and Lionbridge. https://lnkd.in/eGv8-CrC 12. Dr.-Ing. Dennis Michaelis's GEMESYS , a European AI hardware startup, has raised €8.6 million ($9.15 million) in its pre-seed round led by Amadeus APEX Technology Fund and Atlantic Labs. NRW.BANK, Sony Innovation Fund, and Plug and Play Tech Center also participated in this round. https://lnkd.in/exZGicHt 13. Matthias Auf der Mauer and Christian Hardenberg’s juna.ai, a company focused on optimizing manufacturing processes for heavy industries, has raised $7.5M in a seed round with backing from Kleiner Perkins, Norrsken VC, and John Doerr. The Berlin-based startup aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce waste through advanced technology. https://lnkd.in/eXf7j2A5 14. David Rigterink's Cytomos, a cell analysis technology company, has raised £5 million ($6.36 million) to scale its platform. The round was backed by ARCHANGELS, Old College Capital, Scottish Enterprise, and the British Business Bank. https://lnkd.in/edwWYiEz

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Inspiration for entrepreneurs: : 'If you’re starting something on your own, you better have a passion for it, because this is hard work.' @Sallie Krawcheck, Co-founder of Ellevest #Entrepreneurship #Passion Ignite your passion for entrepreneurship with The Cantillon's inspiring programs.

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TribeAngels is a small investor in Pitch59... Watch our overview of TribeAngels in 59 seconds. I get a lot of questions of what TribeAngels is ... ❌ We are NOT a group just interested in Startups ❌ We are NOT for people trying to raise money ❌ We are NOT a networking group, where the lead self promotes Here's what we ARE ... ✅ This is for Business Owners, Executives & Investors that ARE investing $50k - $1M in the next 12 months ✅ Relationships before Transactions ✅ If you don't GIVE-FIRST you probably aren't a fit ✅ You will get the chance to connect deeply with the other members #Landons_Thoughts #June27thEvent #WhatAreWe #TribeAngels #Pitch59 Jon Barlow, Haysam S., Kyle Hanagarne, Crystal Godfrey Bartlett We mean it Relationships over Transactions ... we mean it. COMMENT What you like most about this list? COMMENT if you watched the video

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✨ VERY SMALL PARTICLES ✨ That's what the three co-founders of VSPARTICLE – Aaike van Vugt, Tobias Pfeiffer, and Tobias Coppejans – have dedicated their last 10 years to. VSP is a once-in-a-generation Dutch company which has developed a unique nanoparticle printing technology to bring us high-performance materials for clean energy transformation. That's why together with my colleague Taiga Ueta, we at NordicNinja VC and in partnership with Sten Tamkivi and Plural Platform, are thrilled to fund this world-class founding team. In particular, VSP’s technology is enabling the mass production of catalyst-coated Porous Transport Layers (PTLs), which are the key components in electrolyzers and are essential to the production of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is essential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and power a more sustainable future for industries such as shipping, transport, heating, and aviation, yet the process currently relies on using scarce resources including platinum and iridium. Combined with AI-powered material discovery and computational chemistry, VSParticle and their network of partners are able to create the most complete database of materials in the world, which can serve as an input for building an economically scalable and a sustainable clean energy future. VSParticle's technology is material agnostic and comes with high precision nanoparticle control (at nm level), requires no wet chemistry, and allows for quick experiments & production. Looking forward to working with the whole team at VSP to bring this new technology to the world!

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Did you know that 45% of healthcare innovations for big companies now come from external sources? More and more, healthcare giants are building their pipelines through a mix of in-house development, licensing deals, collaborations, and acquisitions. But why is looking outside so important? Here’s what’s driving this shift: 🔍 Tackling the patent cliff When blockbuster patents expire, revenue can take a big hit. External innovations help fill the gap, bringing fresh products into the pipeline without starting from scratch. 🔍 Cutting costs R&D is expensive and takes time. Partnering with external innovators saves money, speeds up timelines, and shares the financial risks of development. 🔍 Diversifying products No company can innovate in every area. External partnerships bring in fresh ideas and solutions that complement or expand what companies can do on their own. 🔍 Staying adaptable The healthcare landscape is constantly shifting. Working with outside innovators helps companies adapt quickly to new opportunities, challenges, or market changes. 🔍 Boosting ROI External partnerships often mean acquiring or licensing products that are closer to market-ready, reducing the risks and costs of early-stage R&D. 🔍 Exploring new markets Innovators often have unique insights into niche or underserved markets. Partnering with them can help big companies break into new areas they couldn’t reach on their own. At VentureBlick, we’ve seen this trend firsthand. Big companies aren’t just looking for small improvements — they’re on the hunt for game-changing ideas. That’s why we’re working with a leading global healthcare company to run a worldwide search for breakthrough innovations in consumer health. If you’re an innovator with something truly amazing in the areas of oral health, nutrition & wellness, pain management, and respiratory wellness, we’re running a global search that could be your chance to take your innovation to the next level. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gT-VXU3k #healthcareinnovation #openinnovation #techscouting #consumerhealth

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The trend is picking up. Investing in #deterrance & #defence to further support competitiveness and resilience of #European countries. This time Netherlands Ministerie van Defensie is joining other #EU MoDs and national development agencies to facilitate access to funding for #defence #DualUse and #security innovations. Our fund Coinvest Capital was the first in the region, fully authorised to invest in pure #defense already back in March 2023, shortly joined in April by Baltic Sandbox Ventures with #DeepTech focus and the launch of dual-use accelerators by ScaleWolf in October. Just our fund alone already coinvested 6.8mEUR in #aerospace and #defense, including one of the largest regional #VC rounds in Unmanned Defense Systems. Today we will be watching and supporting two teams from #Lithuania - winners of our joint prizes with DEPO Ventures - pitching on stage at #DefSec innovation challenge hosted by Dr. Kristina Soukupova with their solutions for #cyber #security and #drone enhancement, that enables all drone makers to get faster time-to-market. Wishing the best of luck and a solid pitch to the teams of AI Drone.Tech with co-founders Laurynas Česūnas and Domantas Brucas, winners of our prize at the defence #hackathon The Flaming Shield of Lietuvos šaulių sąjunga , and CBRX with co-founder Kazimieras Sadauskas, winners of our prize at the Startup Lithuania annual event #StartupFair

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🩺 The Super Innovator Search has entered its final phase.     📋 Over 3 days next week, the 10 shortlisted startups will pitch their innovations to our judging panel.     💉 From robotic surgical solutions to proprietary sensors and materials, these finalists have been selected based on their innovations’ potential to deliver real medical value.    📈 This is one of the core principles of VentureBlick, and also why we are offering practical support worth up to US$100,000 to the winning innovator – we want to help accelerate their development and, ultimately, help them Go Global to create a positive impact in the healthcare ecosystem.    🤜🤛 Once again, a big thanks to my fellow panellists for joining me to evaluate these finalists. Dr. Zhong Wei Khor. , Dr. Alexandra Liebmann, MBA, Yi Luo, Andreas Kuptz, and Robert Hite. I will see you online next week.    📢 Stay tuned for more updates and the announcement of the winner next week!    JLK Technology Kalms Consulting #VentureBlick #Startup #Innovation #Healthcare #SuperInnovatorSearch 

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Fascinating data about the VC investments per capita by now in 2024 that Yoram Wijngaarde and his team at Dealroom.co brings. As we get stuck in our mindset on the big advanced ecosystems that are making lots of noise, there are incredible places where resiliency in terms of capital raised is remarkable. Singapore 🇸🇬 (Jacqueline Poh, YC Choy) is at the top of the charts followed by the UAE 🇦🇪, right ahead the US! Switzerland 🇨🇭 is the leading European country with the most VC money invested per capita, followed by Israel 🇮🇱 (Michal Freeman-Shor). My take is, watch for small countries that put tech, AI, startups and the private capital market in their priorities as a leading economic growth driver. Those are the tech exporters of talent, tech and capital and will attract investors globally. #capitalmarkets #privatecapital #venturecapital #startups #innovation #technology #AI #economy #growth #entrepreneurship #privateequity

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🎙️ I'm delighted to share a personal episode on the Founders Dinner podcast with Stas Balanevsky, where I open up about my experiences as an entrepreneur. The journey has been filled with challenges, but each obstacle has been a lesson in courage, resilience, and the importance of listening to your instincts. In this episode, we cover: - Why adaptability is key in both seizing opportunities and navigating setbacks. - The value of enduring tough times to achieve lasting success. - How understanding our reactions can lead to better decision-making under pressure. - The necessity of facing fears to grow personally and professionally. - The benefits of trusting your instincts and the impact of strong mentorship. Each story shared is a reminder of the lessons learned through perseverance and stepping outside the comfort zone. I hope you find these insights helpful as you navigate your entrepreneurial path! 🔗 Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/ghKTRF-3 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g-TZwsav iHeart Radio: https://lnkd.in/gdemJeDf C-Suite Network: https://lnkd.in/gqP9qM5t Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/gAwiFy47 #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Podcast #Innovation

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💡 Billion Dollar Decisions 💡 Why is sleep the single greatest value driver in private equity? I'm thrilled to take the stage at the Private Equity Insights Conference in Amsterdam this Thursday to address this very question. Drawing on the latest science and practical insights, I’ll reveal how prioritizing sleep can profoundly impact decision-making, deal-making, and overall performance in the high-stakes world of private equity. In Paris earlier this year, I had the honor of sharing this message at a similar event—it was rated 9.1 out of 10 by the audience. The conversations that followed were a testament to how much the industry values innovation, health, and performance as tools for creating lasting value. I can’t wait to bring this discussion to Amsterdam, a city that as my home for SO long! 📢 If you’re attending the event, message me! I’d love to connect. 📩 Not signed up yet? Feel free to reach out if you'd like to join or hear more about my talk. 💤 Let’s dive into how sleep can drive smarter decisions and unlock billion-dollar opportunities. ----------------------------------------- 💥 I'm Dr. Els van der Helm 🎤 Keynotes, training, video content, and consultancy I write about leadership, productivity, and my favorite topic: sleep. Want to read more? 🔔 Ring the bell on my profile 🔝 Follow me 👉🏽 Sign up for my newsletter: link up top 🔝 #PE #negotiation #deals #value #sleep #performance  

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This Series paper delves into the impact of digital tools on heart failure care, covering screening, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring, and their potential for research. The rapid evolution of technology, global connectivity, and the digital shift in healthcare favor their integration. Despite available therapies, challenges persist, especially in low-to-middle-income countries. Establishing global clinical frameworks for these tools is vital as they reshape patient care and research. #epeeps #AmericanHeartAssociation #HeartRhythmSociety #HeartFailureSocietyofAmerica American Heart Association Heart Rhythm Society American College of Cardiology

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Reflections of a Founder Mini-Blog #4: The constant challenge of avoiding (invisible) distractions As a founder, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all guide to organizing your time or projects. This lack of a golden standard can be frustrating, as you continuously seek better ways to streamline your work. Just when you think you have everything in order, then BOOM, things change. Your role evolves as your company grows and the cycle of unpredictability continues. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. An evolving company demands adaptability. You might transition from hiring new team members to focusing on client acquisition projects as priorities shift. This dynamic nature is the inevitable role of a founder. It’s also the beauty of the job. Distractions come in various forms: emails, news, meetings, new ideas, social media, competitors and market conditions. Each can consume minutes or even hours of your valuable day. And as your company grows, so do the number of distractions. Sometimes distractions are invisible. They can be tasks or meetings that seem important but aren’t. You might find yourself working on time-intensive projects with no clear link to company goals. Everyone experiences distractions differently. I’ve found effective strategies to minimize and block them. One of my biggest wins was turning off phone notifications years ago. Additionally, I block specific times in my agenda to focus on one task and group multiple meetings within the same time frame. I’m fortunate to have my neuroscience background, which taught me a lot about productivity and time management. Along the way, I’m also learning to recognize the invisible distractions and focus on the things that matter most.

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Some people may believe that having an intermediary could potentially lower your overall return. However, this is a misconception! See the illustration below. By pooling capital through a fund, it transforms into a substantial investor. Developers are then motivated to offer incentives for larger capital investments, enabling us to pass those benefits on to our investors. #Investment #realestate

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Is Deep Tech in Europe an undervalued #investment market and the future of VC in Europe? 💡 Deep tech innovations offer solutions to profound societal challenges. Deep Tech has been perceived by VC's as less easy to access, complex to start and challenging to invest in. In this McKinsey report on Deeptech, they debunk 4 MYTHS on Deeptech: 🔦 Deep Tech startups have higher risks (no) 🔦 Deep Tech lifecycles and exits take longer (no) 🔦 Deep Tech startups can not scale in the same way (no) 🔦 Deep Tech startup are less capital-efficient (no) With our European research networks, universities and talent pools Deep Tech should become a bigger value pool for future VC investments in Europe. The good news? ✔European Deep Tech investments are gaining momentum and prove to be more resilient than other types of VC investments (figures in the report) ✔ Expect a higher IRR for Deep Tech VC funds (in Europe) In general, European Deep Tech needs a structured effort from all actors in the ecosystem to unlock the value pool hidden in IP, patents, research, ....in Europe.

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⏰ Final event of the year for me and by very far not the least: HealthTech Investor Summit. Three days with a HUGE program: 👉 Company pitches from pre-seed to scale-up 👉 Keynotes from successful entrepreneurs, financiers and innovators 👉 Panels discussing healthtech and patient impact, healthtech investment, women entrepreneurs and more 👉 Educational sessions such as healthtech in the US, caring technology principles and leveraging the European healthtech market 👉 Networking opportunities throughout, and a partnering app to make connecting easy This is going to be amazing. You know me, when I want to contribute, I do it in full 😅

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🚨 Download: Prepare your firm to take on and win more mergers and acquisitions (M&A) business 👇

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The journey from startup to scale-up isn’t always straightforward. However, explosive growth is often seen as the secret to startup success... The trouble is far too many promising startups 'grow themselves to death'. That is where extrapolation comes in — a critical stage often overlooked in the venture growth stages. Typically, businesses operate between two modes: // Exploration mode to find PMF // Exploitation mode to optimize business model for steady growth and profits. However, extrapolation is a distinct stage bridging the gap between the two. During extrapolation, you want to achieve two goals: // Confirming PMF demand // Achieving PMF Successfully demonstrating demand and profitability. Key steps in the extrapolation process: → Setting clear, achievable goals → Defining critical assumptions and factors needed for growth → Identifying and fixing limitations in the business model → Repeating until all issues are resolved But to truly succeed in this stage, you must build an ambidextrous team. Remain nimble — within the organization, in looking for promising opportunities, and in growing market reach. Only then can you achieve sustainable growth. Join our newsletter —- We break down acquisition strategies, deal analysis, value creation playbooks, operating concepts +++ For the love of the game // https://lnkd.in/e7C6yZE2 Source: Harvard Business Review #Startups #Innovation #Success #Business #Strategy

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