Linda Li

AI and Med Tech in Focus   AI System Developed to Identify Pathology in Tissues Engineers at Washington State University have developed an AI tool that uses images of human and animal tissue to detect abnormalities faster and more accurately than people. The AI algorithm was trained using images from past studies that involved kidney, testes, ovarian, prostate, breast and lymph node abnormalities. The new model detected disease in minutes—current processes take humans several hours and require specialized teams to check each other’s work. It was also found to be more accurate, sometimes detecting instances that humans had missed. The engineers designed the system to handle the processing load of the high-resolution gigapixel images by breaking them down into smaller tiles but still retaining the overall context of the tissue sample—akin to the zoom feature on a microscope or phone camera. Aside from getting diagnostic results more accurately and quickly, the new system also shows promise in epigenetics (the study of molecular processes that change gene behavior without changing underlying DNA). Epigenetic researchers can perform analyses and get results that used to take a year or more in just a couple of weeks. VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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I’m optimistic about the potential of generative AI to reduce provider burnout and improve provider-patient interactions. However, that optimism is tempered by the data that indicates the technology is not quite ready yet. Bright Ventures is interested in digital health founders who understand the realities of provider-patient interactions, and the role technology can play in strengthening clinical outcomes. Which founders and teams are getting this right? Tag them in the comments below.

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As we look for ways to control healthcare costs globally without compromising accessibility to, or quality of patient care, (tech-enabled) outcome-based contracting is the only solution.

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🩺 Before the year comes to a close, we are excited to take a break from the AI hype and share our thoughts on one of the most compelling investment areas: healthcare. 🥼We’ve had the pleasure of working with the brilliant Dr. Swathi Varanasi-Diaz as part of our sector deep dive series during Laconia’s Venture Cooperative program. ✨ In our new article, Dr. Swathi takes a deeper look into the healthcare investment landscape and identifies opportunities for innovation and growth. It’s been a pleasure working with Dr. Swathi on the report and we look forward to hearing your thoughts! 🚀Laconia have been investing in the space since 2020 and we are excited by the venture scale investment opportunities in provider operations, care systems change, personalized care, to name a few, that will increase care delivery efficiency and in turn increase health access & results. As always, if you are a b2b founder building in the space, we’d love to hear from you. 🍵 Grab a cup of tea, and dive right in. We hope you enjoy the report as much as we did: https://lnkd.in/eygXiNnm CC: Jeffrey Silverman , David Arcara , Geri Kirilova 🤍

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A prospective $3.1 billion U.S. IPO in a market with very few listed early childhood education firms. This rare public listing highlights the growing global trend of scaling early childhood education companies, as private equity and large operators seek consolidation for operational efficiencies. With increased focus on education investments, this IPO could pave the way for more large-scale moves in the sector. #Education #EarlyYears #Earlychildhoodeducation #Childcare #Nurseries #Preschools #Edtech #K12Education #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #ImpactInvesting https://lnkd.in/dTu3DyPS

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We need pharmaceuticals controlled by state regulations and out of the lobbies' grip in Washington DC. Shifting control of pharmaceuticals from federal oversight to state regulation and reducing lobbyist influence in Washington could indeed address many issues, such as drug pricing and access. The influence of pharmaceutical lobbyists in shaping policy has long been criticized, as these companies have often prioritized profits over public health, resulting in skyrocketing drug prices and limited access to necessary medications for many Americans. A more effective economic development authority that employs locals with community first and lobbyists not invited and draining money for middle man money changers. Moving to a state-controlled regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals could mean that states set their standards for drug pricing, approval, and distribution. This decentralization might encourage competition, drive down costs, and foster innovation as states try different models. Additionally, it could increase transparency by allowing for more localized and responsive systems, potentially holding pharmaceutical companies more accountable.

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Excited to announce our investment in Tuva Health! Aaron Neiderhiser Jorge (Coco) Zuloaga As access to healthcare data (claims, EHR, HIE, labs, etc) increases with recent regulatory/policy changes and technical advances, healthcare data teams are more focused on data transformation to bring healthcare-specific business logic and context to their data. Today, healthcare data teams spend 80% of time cleaning vs. analyzing data while wasting $1M+ per year in resources. Tuva's open source approach provides a hybrid model to the current build vs. buy paradigm - leverage Tuva’s open-source data model and data pipelines to transform your claims and clinical data inside your own data warehouse. More below 👇

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🌍 How is healthcare linked to climate change? Global warming is one of the most pressing existential issues of our time, and every industry, particularly healthcare, must play a critical role in addressing it. The global healthcare sector is responsible for 4.4% of worldwide net emissions, the equivalent of two gigatons of carbon dioxide each year. In the United States alone, the healthcare sector accounts for 8.5% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Despite this dire challenge, innovative healthcare solutions hold robust potential to make a substantial, green impact. At Caresyntax, we are committed to sustainability and reducing the healthcare sector's carbon footprint. By optimizing hospital operations, our AI-driven solutions can lead to significant environmental benefits. For example, if Caresyntax were installed in all operating rooms worldwide, it could save 14 million tons of GHG emissions annually, equivalent to the emissions of the entire Air France fleet. Caresyntax’s data-driven platform not only enhances patient care but also contributes to a substantial reduction in energy usage and waste production. It's time for the healthcare industry to lead by example and drive positive change for both patient care and the planet. You can read more about healthcare greenhouse gas emissions here: https://lnkd.in/g9nEXtPs #AI #Sustainability #HealthcareInnovation #Caresyntax #GreenHealthcare

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_What makes a good investment in healthcare? _ When is a good time to start thinking about the path to exit? _Where do we see the next #unicorn in #systemichealth? Experienced healthcare investor Dai Feng from CareCapital Group joins me and Jonathan Levine for our very first *video* episode of the #ThinkOralHealth #podcast. Take a listen.

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The (Healthcare) Ground Beneath Our Feet… This year it is likely that over $10 billion will be invested in the digital health sector – a robust amount, no doubt, but inconsequential when compared to the amount of capital tied up in healthcare real estate assets, which is estimated to be $1.2 trillion by Jones Lang Lasalle. Of that amount, approximately $790 billion is in the hospital sector while the remaining $490 billion is in medical office assets. It is estimated that there are 48.6k facilities with 3.4 billion square feet of healthcare real estate, 42% of which are owned by REITs and another 33% held by other private investment vehicles. Much of the digital health investment is meant to make the physical healthcare infrastructure more productive: greater operating efficiencies, greater patient throughput, more relevant personalized care models with better outcomes. As the healthcare system is being pushed to be more distributed to lower cost sites of care, accelerated now by the rapid proliferation of automation and AI capabilities, the potential impact on healthcare infrastructure assets will be profound. Thoughts on what that might look like... https://lnkd.in/eTfAdUbS #digitalhealth Flare Capital Partners

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In September, the results of the Phase III trial of biospecific antibody Ivenescimab delivering a meaningful improvement over Merck’s Keytruda in lung cancer sent Summit Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SMMT) stock soaring. However, few paid attention to the originator of the PD-1/VEGF targeting asset, Chinese biotech Akeso Bio. Akeso represents a cohort of emerging innovative drug companies from China, working at impressive speed to deliver advancements in patient care and next-generation therapeutics with global ambition. #deeptech #chinesedeeptech #bosonventures #Ivenescimab #biotech #immuology

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Some VC investors believe that brick and mortar - referring to a physical presence of some kind - should be avoided at all costs. Yet, the track record of clinic and hybrid care businesses in health care indicates otherwise. ==> One Medical (sold for $3.9 billion to Amazon), Oak Street (bought by CVS for $10.6 billion), Lifestance (IPO at $7.5 billion market cap), and PE-backed Premise Health (acquired by OMERS Private Equity for $1.1 billion) If a clinic is indicated as the optimal way to deliver care for that patient population, there are creative ways to build and operate them. Full article below with advice and strategies on how to build and operate hybrid clinics from my teammate Anarghya Vardhana from Maveron, Amir Dan Rubin from OneMedical Group, Steven Eidelman from Modern Animal and more!

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2nd of 5x investment (or acquisition) themes that should rip in Micro SaaS... Personalized Healthcare and Wellness // DEFINITION: Innovations in healthcare and wellness that offer personalized and preventative care. // GROWTH DRIVERS Rising healthcare costs, increasing focus on preventative care, and advancements in health technology. // FOCUS - mHealth and Wearables: Mobile health applications and wearable devices for health monitoring. - Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods: Supplements and foods with health benefits tailored to individual needs. - Telehealth: Remote healthcare services and telemedicine platforms. Anyone going hard at a similar theme?

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AI in Focus  Wearable Camera Detects Injectable Drug Administration Errors Collaborative researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, University of Washington, Makerere University and Toyota Research Institute have developed a wearable camera that uses AI to detect injectable drug administration errors. The system used video data sets from cameras strapped to doctors’ foreheads in different operating rooms with different backgrounds and lighting conditions and focused on the physicians’ hands. Then using deep learning, they trained the algorithm to detect visual clues like vial and syringe shape, label color, and font size to determine what the drug was. Currently, errors happen when a wrong vial is used or the drug label in the syringe is incorrect (vial swap errors) or when the label is correct, but the clinician administers the wrong drug (syringe swap errors). Hospitals use bar codes to prevent these errors, but in high pressure situations, these safeguards sometimes are forgotten. Approximately 1.2 million patients experience errors in injectable medications annually, at a cost of about $5 billion. Using the AI camera system, vial swap errors were detected in 99.6% of cases where they occurred and syringe swap errors in 98.8% of cases.  The next step is for researchers to incorporate the new system into smart eyewear that can provide visual or auditory warnings before a drug is delivered. Further, the new system provides opportunities for automatic documentation of drug injection information and reduced manual record keeping. VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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💡 When we started Caresyntax over a decade ago, AI wasn’t the hot topic it is today. But even back then, we believed in its transformative potential. AI can be just a buzzword, or a powerful tool to drive measurable change in patient care. Fast forward to now, AI-focused healthcare companies now command 2-5x higher valuations than their non-AI counterparts, with some reaching EV/ARR multiples of 30-50x. These numbers show that beyond the hype, there are signals of the industry’s interest in embracing AI-driven solutions that deliver results. These innovations matter because healthcare’s $1 trillion administrative burden and growing labor shortages demand smarter, scalable solutions. Early benchmarks show that these AI-driven models are scaling 2-3x faster than traditional SaaS, with sales cycles shrinking to less than 6 months, compared to the typical 12-18 months in healthcare. But let’s not forget: AI is only as valuable as the outcomes it delivers. Whether it’s automating medical scribing, enabling back-office efficiency, or delivering real-time surgical insights, the goal remains the same: empowering healthcare teams and enhancing patient care. After all, it’s not about having AI in your name; it’s about the results you deliver. 🌐 The digital age is here - let’s make it count! #AIinHealthcare #HealthcareInnovation #FutureOfHealth #DataDrivenCare

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In 2020 I participated in a VC panel on the question "what would the doctors office look like in 10 years?" My answer: It would be in everything, it would be everywhere and it would no longer just be one place. Some may call this unified commerce, before that it was called omni channel, but I think of it as modularity. Because over the last decade, the concept of modularity has driven me. Where I asked myself how do we create one thing that can be reused or reapplied for dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of different use cases? I built Ease using the concept of modularity, and that's exactly how I'm building Cline, except this time I'm starting from scratch and 100% focusing on the patient. When I set out to solve the problem of private practice, I thought this; if we built more practices that were modular (i.e. different practice models, different payment models, different patient focuses, different communities), eventually there would be enough to spark a new SMB product environment that would level the playing field allowing private practices to eclipse our enterprise overlords, creating an entirely new wave of community focused innovation. It turns out that I was wrong, or perhaps I was too late, since the road to true modularity is long, hard, and expensive. Whatever the case, the overlords continue to to conquer, and despite a growing rebellion, if we truly want to shift whatever this version of healthcare is today we will need to restart with an entirely new strategy. I believe that this time around, it must begin with the patient. The question is, what tools can we give them to feel empowered, as well as engaged? How can we use technology to restore trust, how can we put access, knowledge, and treatment at the center of everything without losing efficacy or quality? How do we make the doctor's office no longer "a place" that people go but instead a place that goes wherever they go or is wherever they are? That's Cline, and that's the future we're looking to create. #HealthcareOnLinkedin

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We recently visited our local doctor, and as we waited, the nurse mentioned how the practice had just shifted to a new patient management system. Among the upgrades, she highlighted the predictive and supportive aspects of diagnostics. This got me thinking: how will AI revolutionize medical surgery? I began to think about a world where AI algorithms power surgical planning, instantly processing vast amounts of data. With curiosity on my side, I did some research and came across a study where radiologists spent four hours analyzing hundreds of chest X-rays. With AI intervention, the same task took just 90 seconds – a resounding result, highlighting the efficiency and accuracy of AI-driven diagnostics. From early diagnosis to surgical procedure planning, research suggests AI can support surgeons in unprecedented ways. For instance, in the operating room, AI can serve as a silent yet invaluable ally, providing real-time insights and predictive analytics to navigate through the complexities of each procedure. New research suggests that AI can anticipate the next 15 to 30 seconds of an operation, offering support to surgical teams without seeking to replace their expertise. Companies like Kaliber Labs Inc. are already integrating AI into medical practices. Their aim isn't to replace decision-making processes and execution skills but to enhance them. It's fascinating how a routine visit to the doctor can trigger a chain reaction of reflection and research, highlighting the far-reaching impact of AI across various aspects of our future. #AIAlgorithims #Medical #Workflows #ArtificalIntelligence #Transformation

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APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN for Healthworx Accelerator! Are you a healthcare entrepreneur of a pre-seed or seed stage company who wants to connect with payers and providers like CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to further hone your product and business? Do you want to learn about all the best practices in procurement, data security, claims, contracting, and the other nitty gritty details that might make or break your business? This is the iteration of 1501 Health, and includes all of our best practices and lessons learned to support even more entrepreneurs! If you have questions, please reach out to Soo Jeon or any of our alumni who can share the transformation that's possible when you connect innovators with experts!

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