From Building HealthTech to Investing in It: Laura Hilty’s Key Insights. #digitalhealth

In this episode, we sit down with Laura Hilty, Principal at HealthX Ventures, to explore her unique journey from health tech operator to health tech investor. With years of experience at Epic and a wealth of insights into the startup and investment world, Laura opens up about the challenges and opportunities that come with investing in the health tech space. She shares her perspectives on AI's potential to revolutionize healthcare, what investors really look for in a pitch, and why scalability remains such a struggle for health tech startups. Whether you're an entrepreneur, an investor, or just passionate about digital health, Laura's candid advice is a must-listen. Laura Hilty - Principal at HealthX Ventures https://www.healthxventures.com/   / laura-hilty001   00:00 Intro 00:53 Greetings 01:45 Laura's background 04:01 Early in your career, you got a chance to work for Epic. How epic was that? Can you share your experience? 06:30 The existence of such companies as Epic - is it rather a good thing or a bad thing for the US healthcare system overall? 07:55 Do you miss the days when you were an operator? 08:42 How much time do you spend on working with your portfolio companies and evaluating new deals? 09:28 Healthtech startups are still struggling with scalability and sustainability. There are literally just a few examples of successful companies that made it to the public market, remain profitable, and in business. Yet, there are so many VCs who are laser-focused on healthcare specifically. Why? Why do so many investors still believe that something will change this time? 11:25 Give us a one-minute pitch of HealthX Ventures. Why should startups consider your fund as their potential investor? 12:43 Tell us more about the stages, check sizes, etc. 13:36 How do you find new startups? 14:50 What are the specific areas you are more focused on? 17:48 Do you look at ARR, or what are the key metrics for you to make a decision to invest? 19:09 You’ve seen the health tech space from both sides: as an operator and now as an investor. What do most entrepreneurs in the space get wrong about what investors really care about? 21:04 Do you personally believe that AI is going to be a game changer for healthcare? Not just scribe your consultation and send it to the EHR automatically, not just do all the calling between insurance companies and health systems, but actually change the whole approach of care delivery and diagnostics? 24:59 When you are looking at a pitch deck and you don't find AI in it, are you asking questions on why there are no AI plans? 25:55 I listened to your amazing talk on Why great ideas fail at DHAI in October. Truly powerful and insightful. Can you share a few key points with our audience on why great ideas fail? 28:37 Your last piece of advice for digital health founders. Don't miss Laura's invaluable insights into the health tech investment landscape, where she reveals what entrepreneurs often overlook, the key metrics that drive investment decisions, and her thoughts on the future of AI in healthcare. If you're building a health tech startup or looking to better understand the space, this conversation is packed with actionable advice. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more expert interviews and discussions on the future of digital health. See you at the next Digital Health Interview! BeKey Healthcare Development Services: https://bekey.io/healthcare-software-... The previous episode with Lyle Berkowitz:    • SAD principal in Healthcare by Lyle Berkow...   #digitalhealth #telehealth #telemedicine #softwaredevelopment #healthtech #startup #AI #startups #startupfounders #standwithukraine