Where are investors placing their bets in the rapidly evolving health tech space? Rita Vilas-Boas, a venture capitalist with a degree in biotech and 30+ years of experience under her belt, shares a unique take on how to be the startup investors are willing to take a risk on.
As a health tech investor, what’s catching your eye as the next big thing in health tech? What innovations do you think will be huge in the next few years?
I believe that computational biology for wellness, specifically healthy longevity, is one of the most incredible innovations that will have a global impact for the next decades. AI and generative models will significantly influence drug discovery. First of all by its content – for example, with personalized cancer vaccines. Secondly by the process, speeding up clinical trials and dramatically reducing costs, as we’ve already seen in insilico medicine.
Are there particular sub-sectors within health tech that you find more promising or believe are still flying under the radar?
Femtech, or more broadly women’s health, remains largely under the radar for several reasons. Research often defaults to male biology, limiting knowledge on female-specific health issues. Data on women’s health is undervalued, with key conditions often excluded from medical datasets. Because of that, women face barriers, such as delayed diagnoses and inadequate treatments.
Also, historically, investment in women’s health has been lower, reinforcing this data gap and limiting innovation. The good news is that the femtech sector holds a $1 trillion market potential, and with rising awareness and more female investors, it could finally transform healthcare for women.
When considering a health tech innovation to invest in, what key elements do you look for?
Thinking about investing in new innovations – not just in health tech – there are a few key things that need to line up for a startup to deliver top-tier performance. These include:
- A strong team
- A viable market
- Clear customer demand
- Competitive advantage
- Favorable changes in the environment that increase demand
If any of these core elements is lacking and the startup is unlikely to succeed.
On the flip side, what are the biggest challenges or risks you take into account before backing a startup?
Startups often stumble for three main reasons: the team fights and falls apart, they can’t quite crack the code on what their customers really want, or even if they do, they struggle to bring that vision to life.
Can you share examples of successful health tech investments from your experience? What made them stand out?
A company I admire that is also a part of my investment portfolio is Kencko. It addresses nutrition challenges by offering freeze-dried, organic fruit and vegetable products through direct-to-consumer channels. What makes Kencko stand out is its presence in the target market, as well as addressing and innovatively solving high-impact problems like global food waste and poor nutrition.
New tech solutions can reshape the future of healthcare, but they need the right platform to shine. Don’t let your innovation go unnoticed – apply to Health Tech Challengers today for a unique opportunity to pitch your idea to investors and jury members like Rita. Increase your product’s visibility, forge essential industry connections, and secure the funding necessary to turn your vision into reality.
Apply here before September 18th: healthtechchallengers.com
