Shwetank Verma

Today we’re launching the VentureBlick Super Innovator Search to find and support the next batch of game-changing healthcare innovations! 🔍   From now till 6 August 2024, healthcare startups can apply for the chance to:   🌟 Win non-dilutive prizes valued at US$100,000, including practical support such market validation, mentorship, Europe market access support, and a chance to raise funds with VentureBlick’s global investor network.   🌟 Showcase their innovations to the global healthcare community, potentially opening doors to countless opportunities.   I must caution that this is not for everyone.   The VentureBlick Super Innovator Search is only for promising innovations at proof-of-concept stage or beyond, within these sectors: ⚕️ Medtech 📱 Digital Health 🧫 Biotech or life sciences   Join the Super Innovator Search by 6 August 👉 https://lnkd.in/gEddQ6P7   #SuperInnovatorSearch Dr. Stephan Binder Kalms Consulting JLK Technology Scott Ng Igor Sokół

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Setting up right and strong foundations when creating a company, is a must; more important than ever before. A company needs to have a PURPOSE and VISION. These have to be set as clear as possible by the founder(s) since its inception. Then VALUES. These will trickle down and used as the guidelines for everyone in the company to think and act. These are the backbones that will set the culture of the company. Founder/CEO cant just rely on those written and framed on the office wall. Purpose, Vision, and Values should not be something the team have to memorize. Rather, something they need to do. So, as the Founder/CEO, what you need to do is to LEAD BY EXAMPLE by always WALK THE TALK. As a VC, i would love to back this kind of company and founder. Maven Asia Capital (www.maven.asia) #mavenasiacapital

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Where is the money in Digital Health in #APAC? 💰 $3.2 billion of venture capital funding has been invested in the past 15 months 👶 Early-stage funding continues to struggle. The share of first cheques of all investments is only at 14% of all deals that were closed in that period. 👧 Series A and Series B funding are by volume share ahead of Early Stage deals. We continue to see an overflow of "Early-Growth Stage investors" (with an allergic reaction to write first cheques 😉) 👵 Late Stage remains almost non-existent in this part of the world Source: HealthTech Alpha; Alpha Edge, our new business intelligence tool that will launch for public in the next weeks.

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It's interesting that Tech in Asia released an article today on VC secondaries (which was republished with permission from The Realistic Optimist) talking about the emergence of VC secondaries as a crucial yet underused mechanism for the Tech ecosystem. Given my fond memories of my Private Equity days, let's talk a bit about Secondaries. 🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? In simple terms, it's when shareholders of a company sell their stock to another investor, or a fund investor sells their LP ownership stake to another fund investor. 🔄 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 1. LP Secondaries: Most common type of Secondaries, where an existing LP's ownership in a PE/VC fund is bought by another LP. 2. GP Secondaries: A fund sponsor sells one or more assets from a fund it manages to a new fund, often managed by the same sponsor and capitalized by secondary buyers. 💡 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬? 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥? If they could sell, they would (𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴). In this current market where liquidity is scarce, exiting at a marked-up MOIC/IRR (𝘪.𝘦. 2021-22 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯) is challenging. In a LP Secondary scenario, a LP may decide to reduce their exposure to a certain geography due to a variety of reasons (𝘦.𝘨. 𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭, 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨). In a GP Secondary scenario, more often than not, the fund projects that the portfolio companies require a bit more time (𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦) to realize the potential returns. 💰 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐚 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲? Similar to other asset classes investment rationale, a Secondary investor may be able to acquire a good asset (𝘪.𝘦. 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴) at a deeply discounted price, resulting in a respectable return in a much shorter timespan (𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 1.5-2𝘹 𝘔𝘖𝘐𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 16-25% 𝘐𝘙𝘙 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 2-3 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴), relative to a typical 10-year fund life. In our inherently inefficient market, Secondaries can provide a crucial capital bridge to support the tech ecosystem and capital markets. Unfortunately, these transactions are still rare in Southeast Asia. #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #Secondaries #Startups #TechEcosystem #SouthEastAsia

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Last night at a fabulous dinner for consumer VC's curated by Arjun Dev Arora, Andrew Lee posed a great question: what will we look back on as crazy / obsolete in 100 years? Here were our answers: 1. Obesity. With the rise of GLP-1's , obesity will become obsolete and those are aren't "taking the pill/shot" will be further ostracized. 2. Meat. The way to raise, slaughter, and consume animals will be seen as crazy and replaced by meat alternatives. 3. Single use plastics. Using virgin materials for use cases where they are not needed (like medical) will be considered crazy. Do you agree? What would you add to the list?

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Is working in #VC, a good career path?  If so, what to learn to break into VC ? YES, it’s seen as an aspirational / lucrative #job Why ? 1. It's an interesting job - meeting passionate people and understanding new businesses  2. It pays well / wealth creation opportunity  3. You get to learn so much    - You horizontally explore multiple sectors   - Then vertically deep dive in a few interesting ones And if you don’t succeed as a VC: → you can explore working in startups in sectors you have liked, or → Start up in the sector of your liking → Go back / try consulting ___________________________________ Nowadays I’m seeing multiple online bootcamps / courses that have come up to break into VC : Teaching people things like : What drag / tag along mean, liq. pref., anti-dilution, when they are triggered etc. There appear to be 2 sets of target audience: 1. Who are already in VC and just looking to expand their knowledge base  2. Who want to break into VC I’m sorry to say but learning something like this is utterly useless for the latter category and will contribute nothing to help break into VC. It’s like teaching someone about a whiteboard / how to use a marker for getting into coding roles in Google or Meta.  ___________________________________ So what should a candidate learn / develop (valued by VCs): 1. Inherent Startup interest Having the interest and awareness of startups, especially early-stage, helps in understanding the challenges and risks faced by startups (which is essential) 2. Investment Mindset: Being able to look at things fundamentally (first principles) and identify promising investments basis market trends, industry dynamics, disruptive technologies etc. 3. Be an outperformer In some field / aspect of life, outshine the crowd. VC is a very competitive space.  4. Deal Sourcing & Evaluation VC involves finding the best startups to invest in. Learning how to in research, identify, and evaluate high-potential businesses. 5. Interpersonal: Be a Networker (not just get into a networks) Building strong relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, and other industry players is crucial for deal flow → VC success. #VentureCapital #Career

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As part of Forum Ventures’ investment thesis in healthcare, Naomi Goez and I spent a lot of time looking at the healthtech landscape to find the fastest-growing early-stage (Pre-Seed to Series A) startups building in three categories:    1. Healthcare staff management  2. Evolution of digital health 3. Operational productivity in healthcare systems Our objective is to gain a deep understanding of the market dynamics: who is building what, what companies are having success and why, where the gaps and opportunities are, and determining the optimal investment areas for achieving maximum impact and returns. We built a market map based on this research and shared it a few months ago. We’ve since had a number of startups request to be added – too many to add to our static visual. So the team built a new online version that can house hundreds of companies easily and continually be updated live as more companies are discovered. Our new market map is easy to view, sort, and filter, and links to each company website. In a nutshell, same startups, same value, but a way better experience. Check it out https://lnkd.in/ePR8vHiV Forward to a VC or founder who would find this valuable! #healthcare #startups #healthtech #marketmap #VC #B2BSaaS #B2B

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May 17 is Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day. Life has a way of balancing highs and lows. I remember how the thrill of getting engaged was followed by the worst fight we ever had as we kicked into wedding planning. Launching Kuna into Costco and raising Series A was followed immediately by a patent troll lawsuit. A new job in VC, where I professionally meet people and build relationships, was followed 3 months later by COVID and lockdown. “Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make proud.” So you’d think that, when one of the highlights of my professional life - closing the fundraising for our new fund - was followed a month later by one of the highlights of my personal life - the birth of our daughter Lark - I would know better than to walk around declaring how perfect life is. I remember declaring confidently, to a younger friend just finding their way in the world, that I had found peace with my sense of self and my place in the world. Ha! Two months after she was born, Lark was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). NF1 is a condition affecting about 1 in 2500 births caused by a mutation in the NF gene, which regulates tumor growth in the body. Lydia's post below has more details on NF1. My favorite quote about parenthood is that having a kid is like installing a faucet in your house that sprays pure joy whenever you look at it, but every now and then it starts spraying raw sewage. Suffice to say, the diagnosis was a splash of sewage during what otherwise was a time of uninterrupted joy. NF1 is life altering, but it is not life threatening. There is no cure (yet), but there are new treatments coming out of the lab that attack the neurofibromas (tumors) that usually come with NF1. Life expectancy with NF1 is fully equal to that without NF1. The nice thing about balance is that it tends to go both ways. In the moment, Lark is doing perfectly well. Apart from the cafe-au-lait spots on her body that drove the initial diagnosis, there is nothing to distinguish her from a perfectly healthy little girl. Lark (and we) will have to be vigilant throughout her life, but we’re hopeful that she can live a life with minimal encumbrance from her condition. And one of the rare bright spots of this situation has been finding the community of patients, medical professionals, and researchers around NF1. And in particular the community that the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) has built. We attended the CTF Patient Summit in April, when Lark was all of 4 months old. While we would never have wished to join this “club”, we are so so glad that it exists. It’s given us much needed emotional support, helped us expand our support network, and also given us areas to focus our energy and talents on to try and help the community in different ways. We are fundraising to support CTF in their mission to end NF. We’re grateful for any amount you would contribute. Thank you. #neurofibromatosis #nf1

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Had a great time chatting with Kee Lock Chua , CEO of Vertex Holdings . I learned that Vertex Ventures has six major funds in it’s global network of venture capital funds, each focusing on investments in their respective region and specific sector/industry, the latest being their Japanese Fund. Each independently managed that also raises the majority of its funds from global investors with Vertex Holdings as the anchor investor. Most folks may not know that Vertex Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings. Spent time sharing stories about how I remember the NatSteel Holdings Pte Ltd case, when Jackson Tai was at the helm of DBS Bank ; the current #venturecapital environment and #fundraising challenges in the industry for those not distributing; one of the top most important things when investing in ventures- the founder(s) ethics , principles, what drives them, ability to execute ; about Kok Song NG and my recent trip to Japan for Horizons Ventures ‘ techcracker and the developments in the space in Japan; we talked about worms and the sharing by Andrea Choe of Holoclara Inc , an octopus video and neurons on chips by Hon Weng Chong of Cortical Labs and the oh so many possibilities , we talked about the video of a paralysed rat and the work of Andrew Pelling Charles M. Cuerrier of Spiderwort Inc. , ivf ai that led to radiology and pathology diagnostic ai by Dimitry Tran Dr Aengus Tran of Harrison.ai Annalise.ai and their progress globally; we spoke about gene editing and CRISPR; two books I should read by Li Fei -Fei , and Matt Richtel; the importance of continuous curiosity; growing Singapore companies and how to scale ; importance of timing; and about connecting people. Look forward to next time Kee Lock Chua ! #directinvestments #venture #vc #venturecapital #earlystage #entrepreneurship #healthcare #technology #deeptech #founders #principles #investing #learning

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📣 I’m proud to announce Springhood Ventures’ investment in NeoPrediX AG, a company committed to revolutionizing maternal and neonatal care through cutting-edge predictive analytics. 💡 Our decision to invest in NeoPrediX is driven by their groundbreaking approach to improving health outcomes during the most critical, formative days of life. By empowering clinicians with real-time, personalized insights, NeoPrediX enables proactive interventions that not only save lives but also elevate the quality of care for mothers and newborns. ✨ NeoPrediX is also tackling the urgent need for greater efficiency and productivity within hospitals. By streamlining processes and equipping healthcare providers with advanced tools, they are helping to reduce costs and improve operational outcomes—a win-win for both patients and healthcare systems. 🌟 📈 NeoPrediX aligns perfectly with Springhood’s mission to improve child health profitably and at scale. This partnership exemplifies the exceptional investment opportunities available in the child health sector. We are excited to collaborate with Thorsten Waloschek and the NeoPrediX team, and we look forward to their continued success in transforming this vital area of healthcare innovation. #SpringhoodVentures #NeoPrediX #investinkids #investinhumanity #mostimportantinvestment

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In a couple of weeks, we’ll be hosting our first Discovery Webinar. It’ll be our first webinar after some time and I’m quite excited to connect with people from different countries and sectors of the healthcare ecosystem.   At VentureBlick, we’re focused on helping healthcare startups expand globally. So, the topic of our first Discovery Webinar is particularly relevant:   👉🏼 Is Going Global a Necessity or a Privilege for Healthcare Startups?👈🏼   You might already have your own thoughts on this question. I certainly do, but I’m more interested in hearing from our esteemed webinar speakers.   There are many different factors to consider when breaking into an overseas market, especially for healthcare startups.   A big thank you to our speakers: jean-joseph christophe, Dr Andrew Chou, MD, FRCS, Prayank Khandelwal, Dr Hans Joachim Hutt, and Michael Blakey.   I appreciate you all taking the time to share your insights on this important topic.   📅18 July (Thurs), 8:30pm Singapore Time (GMT+8) 🇸🇬 👉 Register now: https://lnkd.in/gxF4M7qa   Here is the corresponding time across different time zones: 🇦🇺 10:30pm Australian Eastern Time (GMT +10) 🇰🇷 9:30pm Korea Standard Time (GMT +9) 🇮🇳 6:00pm India Standard Time (GMT +5:30) 🇫🇷 2:30pm Central European Summer Time (GMT +2) 🇺🇸 8:30am US Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -4)   I hope you will join us. Looking forward to seeing you there.   #VentureBlick #Discovery #DiscoveryWebinar #Startup #Healthcare #Innovation

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I recently came across an article by Nikkei Asia on menopause in Japan and across Asia, which sheds light on some critical issues and I wanted to share some key insights from it. Japan is currently facing challenges with its declining population and the economic participation of women. A significant barrier is the societal discomfort in discussing menopause openly, making this article particularly impactful. It appears that the Japanese government is beginning to recognize the importance of supporting menopausal women. However, the private sector seems less convinced of the necessity to act, or perhaps they are unsure of how to start addressing this issue. This disparity highlights a crucial area where more awareness and proactive measures are needed to support women and improve their participation in the workforce.

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Our Founder and Managing Partner, @Ivan Nikkhoo, recently published an article in @Startups Magazine on ‘How Startups Can Bridge the Funding Gap.’ Ivan shares strategies for founders to navigate the funding gap, highlighting the importance of extension rounds to extend runway, support growth and maximise value. He also outlines how our portfolio company @ Quincus, a global enterprise SaaS platform for the logistics industry, leveraged an extension round to support its technological advancements, accelerate market growth and extend its runway between funding rounds. 📖 Read the full article: https://bit.ly/3WduG4l #NavigateVentures #Startupsmagazine #startups #Entrepreneurship #VC #venturecapital

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The post-pandemic era has seen a remarkable surge in healthcare innovation, drawing investor attention and encouraging the rise of new entrepreneurs. The number of startups in this sector has tripled in the past three years, reflecting its resilience and growth potential. While telemedicine and digital health tools are ensuring continuity of care and expanding access, especially in remote areas, AI-driven diagnostics, wearable health monitors, and data analytics are transforming patient management and healthcare delivery. These advancements are not only improving patient outcomes but also enhancing operational efficiencies within healthcare systems. Developments like mRNA vaccines and personalised medicine offer tailored treatments based on genetic profiles. Additionally, the rise of DIY medical devices empowers individuals to manage their health from home. This sector’s resilience and adaptability promise continued growth, revolutionising healthcare delivery and making it more accessible, efficient, and personalised. #HealthcareInnovation #PostPandemicGrowth #Telemedicine #DigitalHealth #AIDiagnostics #WearableTech #DataAnalytics #PatientCare #OperationalEfficiency

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Onto day 5 of sharing lessons from our Q2 Pachamama Ventures Investors & Founders Meeting! ⛰ 5️⃣ Meeting people where they are is the way to build strong relationships. This was another theme that emerged during the conversation with our panelists. Understanding that people are at different stages of their journey is key - we cannot arm-wrestle people into action, no matter how urgent and important we deem it to be. When it comes to investing in climate and/or venture, this resonates with me. Time and time again, I find that I am much more effective when I give people the time and the space to assimilate the concepts presented, nurture the relationship, and build trust with them. Once people fully understand an opportunity and are ready to commit, they will move swiftly. My goal is to help more people activate climate action through investments in breakthrough technologies. #climatecommunity #peopleandpurpose #climateVC

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***INVESTOR ALERT*** Investing in innovative and transformative companies is almost always exclusively reserved for institutional investors. While this seems to be changing, we’ve always felt that anyone should have the opportunity to invest in great teams and benefit from a company’s upside - anyone should have been able to invest in early SpaceX! During our previous fundraise, we decided to do things a little differently. Last year, we worked with Republic to set up a campaign that allowed anyone to invest as little as 250 USD into our company with something as familiar as a credit card. This year is no different. For the next 15 days only, we are opening up our fundraise to the general public and allowing people to become shareholders in our company. Click the link below and learn about how you can join the team changing the face of healthcare in Africa. __ #Kenya #Nairobi #healthcare #health #medical #laboratory #clinic #vc #investor #angels #disrupt #doctor #Africa #invest TIBU Health

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Last Call! Financing the Venture Series – over Zoom, with class-room option for last module - Starting this Thursday, October 3rd at 1pm PST Getting founders and their startups ready to attract capital and deal with all the complications of various finance forms, due diligence and ensuring enough capital is available for their venture.   All modules will be online (Zoom), option to attend Module 6 in-person class format in Victoria and Vancouver, all classes are from 1-3pm.   ✔ Oct. 3 - Intro to Financing ✔ Oct. 17 - Engaging Investors from Intro to DD  ✔ Nov. 7 - Term Sheets and Deal Structure  ✔ Dec. 12 - Valuation ✔Jan. 17 - Journey to Success ✔ Feb. 6 Victoria, Feb. 7 Vancouver - Deep Dive Cap Table, executive summary and pitch deck Info and registration here: https://lnkd.in/gvhFFCg5 New ventures and startups require capital to grow and scale up. Founders not only struggle to find the capital they require; they might lack the background to successfully engage and negotiate with investors.   The program helps you to be ready for pitching and engaging with the right investors, engaging in due diligence and using data rooms, discussing sources and funding and term sheets, understanding and negotiating valuation and managing post-investment relationships. Pieter Dorsman VIATEC New Ventures BC

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What do you do when you find founders who have deep experience in a traditional domain like construction tech and have spent years honing their insights in the domain. Combine that with Co-founders experience being founding engineers of giants like Rippling and spent time on building banking and fintech infrastructure at companies like Niyo. We at Neon love working with such domain experts who come together to startup. Construction tech is a domain that deserves founders like Merlin to disrupt it. As I say it can’t get better that this founding team. Read more about Neon’s portfolio Merlin and our founders Sneha, Siddhartha and Ayantika here: https://lnkd.in/g4m9su-e

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📣 Focal powered by HSBC Innovation Banking, is back!   🚨 Applications for Focal’s S24 demo day are open to startups raising in the next 6 months.    It takes 7 minutes to apply at gofocal.vc, and even those who don’t make it to demo day can get introductions to over 250 leading VC fund partners, including Techstart Ventures LLP.   Last demo day alone, applicants received over 1600 introductions from investors🤘   #focal #startup #fundraising #vc #demoday

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