Method-driven deep-tech VC
Currently, over 100 million Americans—and one in six people globally—suffer from a myriad of neurological disorders. With over 1,000 known neurological disorders—some rarer than others— and nearly a third of the U.S. population affected by them, it’s not surprising that these conditions are the leading cause of disability and the second cause of death worldwide.
What’s worse is these numbers will likely grow.
Creative Ventures recently led an investment into PlanetWatchers, a Satellite Aperture Radar (SAR) technology company that turns months of crop assessment into minutes of analysis at one-tenth of the cost. Here we unravel the underlying macro trends driving the need for SAR and why it is needed to combat the exponential growth of extreme climate.
A critic of Deep Tech often claims that Deep Tech investment possesses such a high technology risk, the return is often unjustifiable. This premise fails to distinguish between the shade of grey within the maturity curve of each emerging technology. By understanding this particular nuance, we stand a significantly greater chance in predicting the success of a Deep Tech company.
During the 2010’s, mobile Internet was experiencing its golden years.
The US started with 20% smartphone penetration and ended with over 70% and 250 million users. Uber roared. Airbnb IPO’ed at a $100+ billion valuation.
But for an investor, this is yesterday’s glory and that means it’s also someone else’s money.
So what’s next?
As a deep tech fund, we come across a fair share of platform-tech startups. The promise of supposedly expandable market opportunities is auspicious for growth and return. Though oftentimes, many fall into execution traps, especially earlier on in the life cycle.
While some missteps may be reversible, others exhaust already limited resources and lead to a point of no return.
Everyone is up in arms about the April jobs report. The US added 266,000 jobs during the month, but it was a fraction of what was expected and did nothing to change the unemployment rate.
At the same time, we had a viral TikTok video of a McDonald’s in Texas apologizing for being short staffed because “No one wants to work anymore.”
Conservatives are quite loudly implicating the cause of this (and other similar anecdotes from small businesses)are caused by supplements to unemployment benefits and other pandemic aid discouraging work.
So which is it? …well, probably both.
The sheer scale of the healthcare system is mesmerizing. In the US alone, $11,072 per capita spending (in 2019) and at around 320 million in population means that we’re looking at $3 trillion in annual spending.
And even though the US is the largest spender, spending per capita has been rising across the entire world, driving healthcare to make up a larger and larger share of total global GDP.
But, as experienced founders know, the sheer size of a market alone doesn’t matter that much. What matters is how attainable it is for your specific business and business model.
For founders in the healthcare sector, this means avoiding the number one faux pax; forgetting the “business” part of the healthcare system.
Let us be frank about this: we think last mile delivery has a very attractive upside, but we think it is too challenging to be an attractive investment.
The difference between the two are the risks involved.
Luckily, we know exactly what it takes for founders to change our mind.
There is currently a lot of debate around the efficacy and value of the American healthcare system, but we believe a large portion of its problems are due to the fact that it is better equipped to treat acute conditions rather than chronic conditions. In addition, we often don’t have good drugs or other incentivesContinue reading “It’s a Good Time to Invest in Healthcare Diagnostics. Here’s Why.”
In Part I, we discussed how the exponential growth in eCommerce leads to an increase in cost of fulfillment and shipping as a percentage of net sales, driven by rising wage and consumer expectation. Worker wages in fulfilment centers sit at $17 an hour, almost two and a half times more than minimum wage. ConsumersContinue reading “Keeping Up with the Delivery Rocketship Part II: Opportunities in Warehouse Automation”