John Roescher

I really enjoyed recording this episode of The Digital Industrial Podcast with Ty Findley. We talked about common misconceptions for deep tech, the "Why Now" for the category, and differences between investor diligence for deep tech and traditional tech. https://lnkd.in/eKtwjauu

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The tide is turning. Companies that understand RISK is the only certainty are prioritizing #reshoring to diversify their manufacturing value chains. https://lnkd.in/eEyC--ED

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio & Health Roundup covers new funding, insightful data, expanding footprints, local innovators' thoughts, recognitions, & booming developments across the Texas Bio Triangle. 🧬 💰 Funding Thoughtful AI has raised a $20M Series led by Drive Capital led by Nick Solaro. With that funding Thoughtful launched AI agents focused on claims processing, patient eligibility verification, and other healthcare back office functions. Congratulations to Alex Zekoff and the entire team! Drive Capital's investment in Thoughtful parallels their expansion into Austin putting feet on the ground with new Seed General Manager Anish Zuté. I expect we'll be hearing about more investments from them soon. Modicus Prime raised $3.5M to prevent drug product quality failures in biomanufacturing. A great example of Austin funding Austin as Silverton Partners led the round. Congrats to Taylor Chartier and team! A reminder: You may have seen some media covering SEC filings and trying to scoop startups on their funding announcements. I only announce funding when the companies do as I am not a “journalist” and I'm here to catalyze & support the builders 📊 Data Peter Walker released new Carta data breaking down the sector diversity of funding since 2022 in top. In Austin, Healthtech ranked number 3 at 13%, behind SaaS at 42% and Fintech at 13% (likely a decimal difference). Note that Carta breaks Bio & Health into three subcategories (Healthtech, Pharma/Biotech, and Med Device). Where would the sector rank when combined? Peter, any comment? 🚀 Launches, Expansions, and Milestones Neuralink, the brain computer interface company founded by Elon Musk, is expanding its presence in Texas with a new 100,000+ facility, further solidifying our region's position as a key neurotech hub. Given the recent news about the relocations of X to Austin and SpaceX to Starbase, Texas; might we see an even larger presence (maybe even HQ) for Neuralink in the future? 💡 Insights from Local Builders and Innovators Jaleh Daie, PhD shared her thoughts in SynBioBeta on building a durable bioeconomy and what it will take to get there. 🏆 Recognition Kerry Rupp, partner at True Wealth Ventures, has been appointed to the @Ascension Seton Foundation Board. Having VCs on the hospital boards (including the Foundation) will help further connect them to the innovation ecosystem. 🚩 Texas Bio Triangle Houston-based Octagos Health | The Future of Digital Health raised a $43 million Series B to advance AI-driven cardiac device monitoring. Congrats to Shanti Bansal, M.D. and the whole team! MD Anderson and Rice University are joining forces to launch a cancer bioengineering collaborative, focused on speeding up the movement of innovations from the lab to the market. What’s Next?

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio + Health Roundup highlights significant data trends, my stance on covering funding announcements, new partnerships, and action across the Texas Bio Triangle. 🧬 💰 Funding: The Way I Plan to Cover Funding Announcements You may have seen reports of a local Bio & Health startup’s funding round through an SEC report filing. While some outlets have covered this, my position is not to. I prefer to support our builders directly rather than trolling the filings for scoops. There is plenty of real investigative journalism that our city would be well served by if that is where they focused. Remember I am not a journalist and I am not the media. When the company is ready to announce their round officially, I’ll gladly shout it to the rooftops. 📊 Data Peter Walker at Carta reports that in 2017, Biopharma and Medical Devices captured just under 10% of all VC dollars. By 2023, this figure rose to 17.7%, and in Q1 2024, it reached 24%. The overarching tailwinds favor our sector and region with trends towards Bio & Health and the physical & digital intersection. Energy and hardware, two other sector blossoming in Central Texas, also saw similar share gains. 🤝 M&A and Partnerships Sensi.AI, a 24/7 senior care intelligence agent, is partnering with Caring Senior Service to deploy SensiAI’s platform in Caring’s 50 locations across the US. This partnership allows seniors a better opportunity to age gracefully in their homes. 🚩 Texas Bio Triangle BioMedSA is hosting an event called Women in Bioscience, Thursday June 20th. It’s designed to connect and empower women in the bioscience industry across Central Texas, and features Randi Brosterman Hutchens discussing "Building your Personal Board." Find the link to the event in the comments. Houston-based Lokum, a staffing solution to connect clinicians and clinical staff to health care facilities, has raised a $700K pre-seed round. Congrats Ayoade (Joy) Ademuyewo on the raise. What’s Next? #AustinNext #LifeSciences #Healthcare #Biotechnology

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio + Health Roundup brings exciting funding announcements, important community events, accolades, partnerships, and milestones from across the Texas Bio Triangle. 🧬 💰 Funding Humanaut Health has secured an $8.7M seed round to bring access to health optimization and longevity to the general population. It's Austin funding Austin, as Midnight Venture Partners joined the round. Don't miss my short interview with Co-founder and CEO Jim Donnelly below! Optmycare, an AI platform in healthcare & risk management, raised a $3 million in Series A funding, led by Austin's own LiveOak Ventures, to accelerate its growth and build out its technology. 🏙️ Community Mark your calendars for the Nucleate Texas Final Pitch Showcase on May 17th. Catch the final pitches from 1pm to 5pm at Highpoint 2222, and discover what's next in platform discoveries, diagnostics, and therapeutics. 🏆 Recognition BrainCheck, a brain health diagnostic and tools company, received the Care Management Innovation Award at the 8th annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards. Congratulations Kim Rodriguez and the entire team for the well-deserved recognition of your work.   🤝 M&A and Partnerships Babson Diagnostics has announced a new partnership with Cynergy Wellness LLC, to provide clinician oversight for Babson’s customer-initiated BetterWay blood tests. One more step in providing access to this novel technology. Congrats David Stein, Eric Olson and the rest of the Babson team. 🚩 Texas Bio Triangle San Antonio-based Hera Biotech has released promising interim results for their groundbreaking endometriosis treatment. The data showed 92% sensitivity, 95% specificity, and 94% overall accuracy compared to histopathology. Congrats Somer Baburek, MBA on this important step in the development of a greatly needed diagnostic. This week underscores breadth and depth of sector. Let's keep the momentum going! What’s Next? #AustinNext #LifeSciences #Healthcare #Biotechnology

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The #VentureStudio community is thriving and when two leaders from different studios get together it is always going to be a great conversation. This podcast is huge as two brilliant Venture Studio leaders Barry O'Reilly from Nobody Studios and Ben Yoskovitz from Highline Beta join to unpack the innovative world of venture studios and uncover the strategies that make startups thrive. In this episode, you will learn: 📈 The fundamentals of creating and scaling a venture studio 🛠️ Strategies for innovating with accelerators, incubators, and venture capital 💡 How to apply Lean Startup principles to build products people actually want 🤝 The importance of collaboration between founders, corporate partners, and investors 🔄 Insights into the specialization and future trends of venture studios Take a listen and learn from two masters.

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Are #VC exits in standstill and what does it mean for the #CPG companies? Just a handful of large VC-backed companies have gone public since Q1 2022, exiting at only $70bn cumulative worth. i) less than the value recorded in any quarter in the record-breaking 2021 ii) staggering 90.5% decline from 2021’s record highs of $750bn iii) and more importantly the first time the figure has dipped below $100bn since 2016 What does it mean for CPGs? 1. Strategic Acquisitions: As VC-backed companies struggle to justify their high valuations or demonstrate the necessary fundamentals for IPOs, they may get forced to sell at lower price point to a strategic acquirer, and #FMCG players are well-positioned to capitalize on this lack trend 2. Investment opportunities for CVCs: smaller rounds and less competition may enable CPG companies to get stake in the most promising start-ups that would otherwise be quickly scooped by Sequoias and Tigers of this world ;) 3. Less 'well-funded' competition for incumbents: less exits and lower valuations means the large upstarts challenging leading FMCGs will need to be more frugal with resources potentially stifling investments As the saying goes, “In every crisis lies an opportunity.” CPG leaders who will navigate the best this environment may end up winning disproportionally (as we were writing on the topic) FMCG CEOs: 2023 M&A Report – Seven Key Learnings & Seven Predictions For 2024 https://lnkd.in/dT5A-jGZ To receive the corresponding deck, pl. leave your name in comment To get all our insights, follow us/ subscribe to our CEOs newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eR8vDpvE #strategy #zerobasedgrowth #mergersandacquisitions Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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When we asked CPG founders who they wanted at Founderland... Their answer was clear: People who can help them grow their business & achieve their goals. Specifically: - The top retailers - The most founder-friendly investors, and - Other founders they can learn from and share with This conversation that I'm hosting at Founderland is a perfect representation of this group, plus one BIG bonus. We're also including Joel Toledano and ChargeUp.ai which is one of my favorite tech companies that is supporting consumer brands today. They automate the retail deduction and chargeback process for brands, saving them an insane amount of time and money. Such a cool co. Excited to teach, share and connect...and get some deals done, while of course having lots of fun. Joel Toledano Jen Zeszut Kim Coffin Deb Conklin

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PITCH DECK DESIGN FOR STARTUPS AND FUNDS. If you're a founder with a brilliant idea, a startup seeking funds at any-letter-round, or a fund raising capital, you all have one thing in common—you might need a pitch deck, and that deck needs to be designed.

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio & Health Roundup highlights exciting exits, partnerships, insightful conversations, & updates from across Texas Bio Triangle 🧬 💸 Venture Exits SuperTruth has acquired imaware, the at-home testing and infrastructure platform, marking a significant step forward in catalyzing better health outcomes with data and AI. Huge congrats to Jani Tuomi, Brodie Flanders, and the entire imaware team! 🤝 Partnership and M&A KdT Ventures has licensed NGM313, a Phase 2-ready asset, from NGM Biopharmaceuticals. KdT formed a NewCo around the asset, with Managing Director Cain McClary, MD stating, “We believe this drug has the potential to alleviate suffering in a large patient population who currently have no disease-modifying treatments.” Babson Diagnostics expanded its partnership with BD, integrating BD’s MiniDraw System with Babson’s Betterway technology. This expansion now includes health systems and larger provider networks. Keep up the momentum, David Stein, Eric Olson, and the rest of the Babson team! 💡 Insights from Local Builders and Innovators It’s always inspiring when two smart friends share ideas. Micha Y. Breakstone 🇮🇱🎗️ joined Taylor Capito on The GenBio Podcast to discuss cell engineering and the future of biotech. I sat down with Ian Wendt and Na-Ri Oh on The RealPharma Podcast to discuss TechBio, business model disruption, and Austin's role in this shift. 🤠 Texas Bio Triangle Dallas-based SpinSci Technologies LLC secured $53M to expand its AI-enhanced patient engagement platform. Congrats Rajit Kumar! Rice University and Houston Methodist announced the launch of a Digital Health Institute “showcasing the transformative potential of combining medicine and engineering to shape the future of health care” What’s Next?

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Great article on the founder-investor relationship—one that’s so critical to the success of any venture. Tough times are inevitable, and the true strength of a founder-investor partnership isn’t measured during the good times, but in how both sides show up when things go wrong. These moments test trust, alignment, and shared resilience. As founders, we’re expected to lead our teams through crises, rally, adapt, and navigate the storm. The best investors also show the same level of leadership and step up during challenging moments, offering guidance, empathy, and actionable solutions. It’s a collaborative effort, and I’ve been fortunate to witness how impactful it can be when investors show true leadership. One way to ensure this is to work with investors who’ve been in your shoes before—there’s nothing quite like operator investors to bring valuable perspective and support when it matters most.

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🎙️ New ASOM Pod Episode Just Dropped! 🎙️ This week, we’re in costume for Halloween 🎃, and things get a little spooky as Jimmy Kim, Amer Grozdanic, Bryan MacDonald, and I dig into the “scary” realities of startup life in today’s economy. Let’s face it: founders are facing new hurdles every day, but we’re here to talk about what’s behind the struggle — and share some insider tips to make it through. Episode Highlights 🔸 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘀: Forget the fluff; customers see right through it. Real, honest connection is what matters, and we’re breaking down how to make it happen. 🔸 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄-𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘀 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: Staying afloat starts with understanding the basics. When it comes to budget cuts or resource allocation, financial literacy is the superpower every founder needs. 🔸 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: Great product, wrong market? That’s a dead end. We dive into why adaptability is non-negotiable and how staying nimble can keep your startup alive. 🔸 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀: No one’s closer to your brand than your own team. We’re talking about why handling things internally can often beat outsourcing and bring better results. 🔸 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲: Profitability sometimes requires hard choices. From budget adjustments to operational shifts, this episode explores what it really takes to keep moving forward. 🔸 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀: Feedback is priceless. We explore how founders can use customer insights to guide meaningful adjustments — and build lasting loyalty. 🔸 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝘀. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: Choosing between outside funding or bootstrapping isn’t easy. We weigh in on both sides to help founders make the best call for their goals. This episode has the real talk, practical tips, and insights every founder needs right now. Episode links 👇 Shout out to Salvit Advisors, Recharge, and Creators Combine for being ASOM sponsors and making this all possible! #asom #ecommerce #podcast

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Zypsy's new venture investment program, offering $100K worth of design services in exchange for 1% equity, presents an intriguing model for both the design firm and the startups. Zypsy is leveraging its design expertise as a critical asset in helping early-stage startups enhance their brand and product offerings, essential to a startup's early success. Pros of Zypsy’s Strategy: → For cash-strapped startups, receiving high-caliber design services in exchange for equity provides immediate value without upfront costs. This allows these startups to allocate scarce resources to other critical areas of development. → By accepting equity in exchange for services, Zypsy aligns its interests with the startups it serves. Success for the startups translates into success for Zypsy, potentially increasing the quality and dedication behind the services provided. → Zypsy’s roots in reputable firms and its successful track record can provide startup service and credibility. For a new company, being associated with a name with a legacy in design and technology can be a significant boost. Cons of the Strategy: → While trading equity for services saves money upfront, it can be costly if a startup succeeds in the long run. Startups must weigh the potential future value of their equity against the immediate benefits of professional design services. → The program caps services at a certain point, after which startups must pay cash. This could pose challenges if the initial design needs are underestimated, leading to unforeseen expenses. → The program's selective nature might limit its availability to a broader range of startups that could benefit from such services. Focusing on specific industries may exclude other sectors where design is a critical differentiator. Zypsy’s program makes sense on multiple levels, especially in how it offers substantial non-monetary value to startups, helping them refine their brand and product experiences without initial cash outlay. This can be particularly advantageous for startups at an early stage, where cash flow is a critical concern. But, startups should carefully consider the long-term implications of giving away equity and ensure that the value received aligns with the potential future value of the shares given. This strategy bolsters Zypsy's portfolio and places it at the heart of innovation, driving the brand and product strategies of tomorrow’s leading companies. https://lnkd.in/dHWU_wDZ #thenakedbrand #startups #equity

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AppLovin, Snap, and the new Walled Garden pathway A notable reversal took place in Q2 of this year: the market capitalization of AppLovin, the mobile gaming ad network, overtook that of Snap on a sustained basis. As of this writing, Snap’s market cap is $13.91BN to AppLovin’s $28.88BN. In looking at the divergent outcomes across AppLovin, Snap, and other advertising platforms, more important to consider than specific feature implementations is the imperative of expanded access to data that doesn’t adhere to the canonical conversion feedback loop. And in AppLovin’s case, this acquisition of data calls into question the popular definition of a Walled Garden.

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Hear me out: software is cool and all but nothing beats shipping products. Sure, software is the investor’s darling. I get why: it scales fast and promises big returns. But as powerful as software can be, it still lives in the hardware we make (Nvidia anybody?!). Yesterday, walking along our SMT production line, I got struck by the beauty of that PCBA: every trace, every component, meticulously placed. This is what innovation looks like to me. There’s an artistry in hardware that no line of code can replicate. And yet, hardware often struggles to attract investors. Why? The die-hard perception that “Hardware is hard”. But here’s the thing: hardware can be de-risked early and effectively. In fact, I’d argue it’s one of the most tangible and predictable investments you can make. With the right resources, team and processes, achieving a 100% shipping certainty with sub 1% defect yield is not just possible, it is repeatable. If you’re an investor with hardware companies in your portfolio, let’s connect. I’d love to share how we’ve built a system to guarantee products ship, dramatically boosting your ROI and flipping the script on “hardware is hard.” I believe hardware actually is THE ultimate investment (S&P 500 top listings anybody?!). #MakeBetterProducts

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Create Health Ventures Launches Inaugural $21M Fund for Early-Stage Digital Health Startups  Create Health Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage digital health companies, has closed its debut fund, raising $21 million, surpassing its initial target. Launched in 2024, Create Health Ventures is based in Austin, TX, and Chicago, IL. The firm focuses on technologies that enhance healthcare access, improve patient experiences, and deliver value across payers, providers, and pharmaceutical companies. *Its primary focus includes:   1. Payer-Facing Technologies: Solutions that improve member experiences, enable seamless data and workflow integration, and scale technology across geographies.   2. Clinical Trial Enablement: Tools to help pharmaceutical companies recruit and retain participants for late-stage clinical trials as demand increases. *Founders and Approach:   Create Health Ventures was co-founded by Emma Cartmell and Amit Aysola, healthcare veterans with over 45 years of combined experience. They bring operational expertise, regulatory insight, and an extensive network to portfolio companies. The firm exclusively invests in startups led by healthcare industry founders, leveraging its unique value-added platform for scaling businesses.  *The platform includes: - Business development support   - Access to executive coaches   - Connections to healthcare leaders   - Cross-selling opportunities among portfolio companies  *Key Quotes by GPs:  - Emma Cartmell: “Founders from the healthcare industry understand the challenges and opportunities to improve patient outcomes. Supporting them is the most impactful way we can positively transform healthcare.”   - Amit Aysola: “Payers and pharmaceutical companies are driving demand for connected, scalable solutions, and we are investing in companies to meet these needs.”  *Investments and Impact:  The firm has made five investments so far and partners with foundations, impact investors, and strategic healthcare veterans to mentor portfolio companies.  *Portfolio CEO Feedback:   - Dr. Chip Grant (Watershed Health): “Create Health Ventures has been invaluable in scaling operations and fundraising.”   - Shara Cohen (Carallel): “They are the most collaborative and active investor team I’ve worked with.”   - Neil Batlivala (Pair Team): “They’ve helped us manage growth and reach underserved communities.” If you are experiencing difficulties in raising fresh capital and would require warm introductions to new LPs, contact G+QUANT     ▶ Please use G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks, or send your inquiry directly to [email protected] #VentureCapital #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #Startups #ClinicalTrials #PatientCare #HealthTech #HealthEquity #CreateHealthVentures

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I enjoyed going on Nick Telson-Sillett’s podcast, Pitch Deck by Forward Pursuit. Nick is a serial founder and investor (founded and exited DesignMyNight) so knows both sides of the table which always makes for an enriching chat. Some things we discussed: - The perceived power dynamic between VCs and founders can hinder productive conversations. - A compelling product demo can significantly influence investor interest. - Founders must focus on solving real customer problems to succeed. - Hiring standards are crucial for building a successful startup team. - Behavioural roadblocks can prevent the adoption of new solutions. - Validation from potential customers is key for pre-revenue startups. - The early-stage funding landscape has become more efficient and selective. - Pace of execution is a critical factor in attracting investment.

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It's uncommon to see innovation in a product that has been chugging along at the same level for decades. But Mark Adams, Keeri Tramm, Holden Page, and Bo Frize are building something special with our RealTrends Verified business. For those that don't know about RealTrends Verified, it's the one real estate rankings program that uses double-verified data (from the agent and their brokerage). Steve Murray and Tracey Velt had been operating the rankings for decades before we acquired the business. Ever since we acquired the business, we've noticed that our ranking pages have pretty impressive SEO juice. Try searching for "best real estate agents" or "best real estate agents in Texas", and you'll see a RealTrends page pretty high your results. This year, we're going to start leveraging this SEO juice with an expansion of RealTrends Verified into city pages. Now people will be able to search for "best real estate agents in Dallas", and find top agents in their city. We'll drill down even further into neighborhoods and zip codes in the coming years. If you're a brokerage or team leader, or a top agent in your city, please check out our new city pages! https://lnkd.in/eTGVHsaN

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