Olympus (TYO:7733) announced that it established Olympus Innovation Ventures to invest in medtech startups. Tokyo-based Olympus, which has its U.S. headquarters in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, said in a news release last week that the venture fund will invest in pioneering startups. Olympus wants the money to go toward startups seeking to improve clinical outcomes, reduce […]
Emerging Markets
SVB Leerink analysts expect Abbott to gain share on Boston Scientific’s Watchman
Analysts believe Abbott (NYSE:ABT) may gain traction on Boston Scientific’s (NYSE:BSX) Watchman in the left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) space. The second LAAC survey commissioned by SVB Leerink, which compared information from electrophysiologists to information from interventional cardiologists in the previous survey, pointed to the deceleration of Watchman volume expectations from double-digit growth in 2021-2022 […]
Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha touts progress on renal denervation and Hugo robotics
Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) is boosting its research and development spending in fiscal year 2022 by more than 10%, which CEO Geoff Martha described as the largest dollar increase ever for the Fridley, Minn.-based medtech giant. “The investments we’re making in our pipeline will play a key role in accelerating our top-line growth, and we’re at […]
Barclays is bullish on medtech
A Barclays analysis projects that medtech might be on its way to a stretch of “outperformance” even in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to SeekingAlpha, the report cited eight reasons that make the investment bank bullish on the industry in the coming years, starting with what it calls “robust innovation.” On top of […]
EY says COVID-19 stunted medtech M&A in 2020, should see improvement in 2021
Ernst & Young today released its 2021 EY M&A Firepower report, revealing a staggering dip in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in medtech. Life sciences M&A activity totaled $159 billion in 2020, according to the report — a plunge to nearly half of the 2019 total of $306 billion, representing one of the lowest levels […]
CB Insights reports digital health, global healthcare investment funding records
CB Insights reported record funding for global healthcare and digital health, among other milestones during the third quarter. Global healthcare investments to private companies hit a new quarterly record of $21.8 billion in the third quarter of this year, with a total of 1,539 equity investments in the three-month period growing 18% from the previous […]
Medtronic execs see quick recovery, increased M&A
If Medtronic’s troubling Q4 report offers a snapshot of a company hit hard by COVID-19, the next image in the sequence may show a faster-than-expected recovery and increased merger-and-acquisition of smaller companies. In the quarterly call on Thursday morning, Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha and CFO Karen Parkhill expressed optimism that the company’s businesses already are […]
How do medtech investors, CEOs manage portfolio companies going forward?
In Episode 10 of DeviceTalks Weekly, we talk with two successful starters of medtech companies about how they’re building and maintaining their medtech portfolios during this pandemic landscape. Our guests this week are Dr. Justin Klein, managing partner of Vensana Capital, and Duke Rohlen, chair of Ajax Health. Together, Klein and Rohlen have created, backed and sold […]
Medtech startups rack up strong VC totals in Q1, but future uncertain, SVB says
Medtech startups raising venture capital in the first quarter kept the strong pace from 2019, according to an analysis by Silicon Valley Bank. But the uncertainty over the pandemic likely will slow down fund-raising in the second quarter. In an interview with DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, Jonathan Norris, managing director, SVB Life Sciences, says SVB recorded […]
Smile Direct Club aligners now available in-office; stock soars
SmileDirectClub (NSDQ:SDC) shares skyrocketed following the announcement that its clear aligners are set to be offered through the wholesale channel in dentist and orthodontist offices. The Nashville, Tenn.-based company’s announcement follows the Dec. 31, 2019, expiration of its exclusive supply agreement with Align Technology (NSDQ:ALGN). After yesterday’s announcement, shares of SDC are up 16.24% at $13.60 per […]
Report: Ambulatory surgery centers will shake up medtech
An increase in the number of surgical procedures taking place at ambulatory care centers could change the playing field for medtech companies, according to a new report by Bain & Co. The management consulting firm predicted that procedures at these stand-alone centers could grow by 6% to 7% annually through 2021, with orthopedic, spine and […]