Start ups


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Start ups

MedStars acts as hands-on mentor capitalist to bring to early stage healthcare companies the financial and business expertise needed to get these start-ups off the ground. We work closely with the entrepreneurs to prove technical and market feasibility, develop sound business models, attract permanent senior management and bring in angel or venture capital financing. Check our impact stories and portfolio companies.

Business Architect

Through an iterative process, we help reshape or refine the value proposition, market targets, business model, product development strategy and regulatory path needed to develop an actionable operating plan.

Disruptive Market Innovator

MedStars specializes in creating new businesses with value pricing that disrupt existing markets. In addition to traditional patents, we craft business models into strong and sustainable barriers of entry.

Mentor

MedStars coaches entrepreneurs and executives on how to navigate the challenges of building new business: prioritizing early stage milestones, developing and proving market driven value proposition, building organization, designing clear vision with actionable plans.

Team Builder

MedStars has an extensive network to attract the right talent at the right time:

Fund Raiser

MedStars works closely with entrepreneurs to develop and implement their fund raising strategy:

Executives
Scientists
Professionals (regulatory, reimbursement, IP and corporate law)
Clinical advisory board
Business advisory board
Board of Directors

Angel and Private Investors

To validate a technical proof of concept and market value proposition, we can act as lead investor and syndicate seed or series A financing with other angel groups. Check our articles about angel funding. We are active investors and part of the screening committees of Life Science Angels and HealthTech Capital.

Venture Capital

After working with entrepreneurs to turn their concept into an attractive and exciting investment opportunity, we provide access to the most appropriate venture capital partners though our large and our well established network of venture capital firms.

Corporate Investors

We work closely with entrepreneurs on the strategy, negotiation and implementation with large corporate investors or commercial partners.

Testimonials

Dear Anne- as a co-founder of VISICU, working with you during the early days of our company was both rewarding and enjoyable. Your health care experience and advice were extremely helpful as we planned our strategy and your contacts during the road show prior to our IPO were also beneficial.

— Brian Rosenfeld, VISICU Co-founder, acquired by Philips

During the time period that we were trying to raise startup funding for VISICU, Anne provided advice and encouragement, and introduced us to multiple people that helped us refine our business model. She was generous with her time and friendship. We will always look back fondly at that time, and Anne was an important part of the experience.

— Mike Breslow, VISICU Co-founder, acquired by Philips

Anne's knowledge of how the game is played, her professional relationships, instincts, and her mentoring have proved to be most helpful to me as CEO of Pixel Optics. She played a critical role in helping the company's get its initial funding and was a value-add board member.

— Ron Blum, CEO, Pixel Optics Inc.

Anne has a unique ability to identify and quantify high potential market segments for medical devices.

— Robert Behl, Serial Entrepreneur (multiple medical device companies)

It’s one thing to get an investment. What we are getting from Anne DeGheest of MedStars is far more significant. As an investor and Board member of our start-up, Catheter Connections, Anne is providing not just practical advice, but also the guidance and mentoring on how to best implement the advice. That is invaluable.

— Vicki E. Farrar, CEO, Catheter Connections, Inc.

Anne has been a very valuable extended member of our team as we have navigated through the challenges of developing our initial business plan, pursuing and securing funding, developing our customer acquisition, regulatory and reimbursement strategies and adjusting our plans in response to customer/market feedback. Her knowledge, experience, network of contacts and direct input along the way, have been very beneficial to me and the Company.

— Dan Eckert, CEO, PolyRemedy, Inc.

Anne and I helped spin out a biotech company in Belgium which went on to be the keystone to a California company. She is a great big thinker, and facilitator. I enjoyed working with her very much.

— Nola E Masterson, Managing Director, Science Futures

Our relationship with Anne from Medstars allowed Textronics to access an expert network in the Bay Area of seasoned medical sector investors and entrepreneurs. It was a valuable and highly credible affiliation that aided in establishing our technology in the commercial market.

— Stacey Burr, CEO, Textronics Inc., acquired by Adidas.

Working with Bob Molinari on establishing operations, sales and marketing at a start up Biotech Company was one of the most exciting ventures in my career. His enthusiasm, creativity knowledge and ability to relate to people made all the difference in the early stages of company development. Bob also has the contacts and skills to bring in good people and promote a sense of purpose and direction to the company. His ability to relate the strength of the technology to the value of business plan is critical in getting quality investors onboard.

— Joseph D. Kittle, Jr, Ph.D., Chairman, Synthetic Biology Industry Association and Principle Virtual 3C Consulting

Working with Bob at Medstars put PharmaSecure on the track to success. Bob provides timely, relevant guidance informed by years of experience within industry -- thank you, Bob, for your continued support!

— Sarah Hine, CEO, PharmaSecure, Inc.

I’ve worked with Bob for what must be two decades now, and his passion for commercializing very early stage biotechnology remains undiminished. His success record is also pretty enviable.

— Charles R. Cantor, CSO and Co-founder of Sequenom, member of the National Academy
of Sciences, co-founder of the US Human Genome project.

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