Financing the Future of MedTech: From Venture Alignment to Decentralized Diagnostics
What stood out to me at The MedTech Conference 2025 wasn’t just the cutting-edge, life-saving technology—it was the strong focus on financing and venture strategy in medtech.
For someone straddling both sides of the table—as an investor through Phase Two Ventures and an advisor through Del Mar Medical Pensions—it was a masterclass in how innovation meets capital.
It wasn’t all work! I got to catch up with my buddy Tommy Martindale — we played together on an NJB team when we were 11. The guy was money in the paint!
Watching Ah-nold inspire the group with humor and some solid takeaways.
Finding the Right Match: Early-Stage Medtech Financing
On Day 1, I joined “Finding the Right Match: Early-Stage Medtech Financing From Both Sides of the Table,” a standout session moderated by Eric S. Heinz (Heinz Ventures) and featuring:
Auriel August, MD (Sante Ventures) – Go Big Green!
Darshana Zaveri (Catalyst Health Ventures)
Michael Mangano (ABK Biomedical)
Erik van der Burg (Venova Medical)
The panel dove deep into the real mechanics of investor-founder alignment, offering hard-won insights on how to build—not just fund—great companies.
Narrative vs. traction: Credibility is earned by showing how stories convert into signals.
Term sheets and timing: Deal structure is as much about culture fit as valuation.
Post-investment value creation: The best investors help navigate regulatory hurdles and scaling challenges.
Tough moments: Pivots, delays, and governance—how trust holds when the market shifts.
Governance risks: One bad board member—or a few with conflicting goals—can derail everything.
Walking out, I was reminded that the most successful partnerships in medtech are less about finding “capital” and more about finding compatibility.
“In early-stage healthcare ventures, alignment isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s the differentiator. The best investors act like co-founders, helping navigate regulation, reimbursement, and even morale,”
— Robert Mowry, Del Mar Medical Pensions
The Point of Impact: Decentralized Diagnostics and the New Frontier
Later that morning, I kicked off Day 1 at the San Diego Convention Center with another highlight:
“The Point of Impact: Charting the Futures of Decentralized Diagnostics.”
A powerhouse lineup of leaders explored how innovation, policy, and collaboration are redefining diagnostics:
Deborah Godes (McDermott+) – shaping reimbursement and market-access strategies
Beth Marlowe, PhD, D(ABMM) (Quest Diagnostics) – driving infectious disease R&D
April Veoukas (Abbott) – guiding regulatory innovation and patient-safety frameworks
Betsy W. (CARB-X) – advancing the global fight against antibiotic resistance
At The Point of Impact, the conversation centered on how diagnostics are moving closer to the patient—decentralized, data-driven, and globally scalable.
Key takeaways shaping the future:
Access meets innovation: Breakthrough tech must align with smarter reimbursement strategies.
Regulation as enabler: Agile frameworks can accelerate both approval and trust.
Diagnostics = stewardship: Rapid, decentralized tools are vital for combating antibiotic resistance.
Collaboration as catalyst: Innovation only scales when regulators, payers, and developers move in sync.
“Diagnostics are no longer confined to the lab—they’re becoming part of everyday life. The challenge isn’t just building the tech; it’s aligning the financial and regulatory rails to deliver it where it matters most,”
— Robert Mowry, Del Mar Medical Pensions
From early-stage financing to frontline diagnostics, the throughline is clear:
The future of medtech belongs to those who can bridge science, capital, and systems thinking. The real innovation lies not just in what we build—but in how we bring it to market.
Reach out if I can introduce you to someone who was at the conference or in my network. Happy to help those who are kind enough to be subscribed to my Substack do well!