 The Biweekly Deal Flow Update (#6) Curated by Zoic Capital, this newsletter is to inform, educate and attract individuals and companies to become a part of our community. Please subscribe and always feel free to send us tips or comments. Issue No. 6 highlights recent Q1 reports on the state of venture funds with 2018 being the strongest single quarter in at least a dozen years according to reports released by PitchBook and the National Venture Capital Association. While these reports list Healthcare amongst the top 10 deals of 2018 it appears the future landscape of Healthtec – specifically digital diagnostics and therapeutics as optimistically set for outsized growth. We found this suggestion to be a most interesting one as it parallels the trends in our deal flow section. For an in-depth perspective on the current state of healthcare based venture capital please listen in to our newest Market Meditations Podcast. Furthermore, our articles of interest this week include a resource on the Cambridge Analytica topic as this issue arrives on the heels of the recent Zuckberg hearings as well as a deep-dive read on self-awareness and how to cultivate it. It posits that: “Self-awareness seems to have become the latest management buzzword — and for good reason. Research suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident and more creative. We make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. We’re less likely to lie, cheat, and steal. We are better workers who get more promotions. And we’re more-effective leaders with more-satisfied employees and more-profitable companies.”– Tasha Eurich Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend… -Neal Mody -Zoic Capital Podcast: Market Meditations Episode #13 features Chris Haydel and Neal Mody discussing Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) and Healthcare Venture Capital. |
| Four Deals For Friday Zoic believes the benefits of improved diagnostics are potentially revolutionary. Better and faster predictions of impending health problems will allow for earlier interventions, fewer invasive procedures, improved clinical outcomes (including fewer side effects), and lower healthcare costs. In addition to noninvasive diagnostics, therapies that have similar benefits are also an important target. This is especially the case with coupling the two together, as a diagnostic method without a direct therapy link is not useful. We have invested in noninvasive prostate cancer diagnostic technologies and find an interesting coupling with therapies that can provide direct follow-ups. For example, Avenda Health has developed a fiber-optic laser device to treat prostate tumors without compromising urinary or sexual function. –Los Angeles Business Journal  Noninvasive or minimally invasive diagnostics can cover a variety of modalities, such as imaging through the skin or analysis of sweat and/or saliva, or even small volume blood draws. We have taken particular interest in imaging through the eyes for a number of diagnostics, from mental conditions, neuro-degenerative diseases and chronic conditions. An example is diabetic retinopathy using a device that can be found in an eye care clinic. Furthermore, U.S. health regulators said on Wednesday it will allow sale of the first medical device that uses artificial intelligence (AI) software to detect greater than a mild level of the most common cause of vision loss among more than 30 million Americans living with diabetes. The device, called IDx-DR and produced by Iowa-based IDx LLC, is the first to receive Food and Drug Administration authorization that provides a screening decision without need for a clinician to also interpret the image or results. More importantly, this makes it usable by health care providers not normally involved in eye care, such as primary care physicians who interact far more frequently with patients with diabetes. –Reuters  Speaking of moving the point of care and diagnosis closer to the patient, we’ve already mentioned pharmacy companies such as CVS (and now Walmart) taking a more direct hand. This includes acquiring health care providers and insurers and even, in a recent case with CVS, developing an at-home dialysis device. This will be first clinical trial for CVS, something traditionally done by medical-device and drug manufacturers. Health-care companies like CVS are branching out into new sub-sectors, for better or worse, betting that diversification will give them more data and help them contain rising costs. –Market Watch Related: Health care is changing: CVS & Aetna Another recent technology trend that we are keeping an active diligence on are ultrasound devices. The global Ultrasound Imaging Devices Market was valued at USD 3.76 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 6.28 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.86% from 2017 to 2025. Ultrasound Imaging Devices are applicable in a large number of medical practices and the increasing R&D projects in investments in the healthcare sector is causing the market to grow at a fast pace and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.86% till 2025 due to its key drivers. In addition to ultrasound devices that are much improved in terms of size and cost, we are also interested in new modalities using ultrasound to, for example, to image tissues in new ways (such as palpation) and even treat conditions. – News Pharmaceuticals Articles Of Interest From The Past Week: •How CRISPR works, explained in two minutes.-Stat News •Observing the very early effects of risk-aversion in a hypervalued market. –Hussman Funds •Don’t underestimate the number of ways we learn. Visualize pathways to influence others and improve yourself. Via Matt Johnson. What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It) . Research suggests that when we see ourselves clearly, we are more confident and more creative. – Harvard Business Review •Understanding the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. – The Verge •Apple’s Health app can now display medical records from 39 health systems . – The Verge •1Q 2018 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. – Pitchbook •Q1 Reporting of Venture Funds: Healthcare amongst top 10 deals. – Xconomy •Exit scammers run off with $660 million in ICO earnings. – Techcrunch If you found this newsletter to be interesting, I encourage you to forward it on. If you’ve received this from a friend, please subscribe to keep up with future issues. Thanks for reading and please send us any tips or comments! Neal Mody Connect With Zoic Capital |
| Curated by the team at Zoic Capital. |
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