This post is sponsored by Lake Whillans, a distressed venture capital and litigation finance firm that helps companies facing litigation or arbitration.
Lake Whillans, in an effort to help level the playing field for entrepreneurs in the new world of healthcare investing, has partnered with MedCity News to deliver independent research on corporate venture capital in the life sciences. MedCityNews.com reached out to its 400,000 monthly readers, and more than 450 healthcare innovators familiar with corporate firms shared their insights.
What we found is unique:
- Corporate venture has ascended to be nearly as important as venture capital and angel investing, and it is more important than grants, venture philanthropy and others forms of fund-raising
- Entrepreneurs are developing favorites: organizations they view as more trustworthy, the best to partner with, or who you would like to deal with again
This survey focused on corporate investors focused on life science companies: medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and biotech. We wanted to provide you this research because, unlike traditional venture or angel groups, there’s much less insight on corporate VCs and their practices.
Unfortunately, entrepreneurs need to brace for the worst as they raise capital. There are more opportunities to raise money today, but there’s also more peril. It is not uncommon for larger corporations to invest in promising healthcare companies, only to take advantage of their position by developing the underlying technology themselves or dispensing with the project so as to avoid cannibalizing sales.
It’s important to know who the good actors are so you can protect your company and find the best partners (you can find the full rankings on Lake Whillans’ website).
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Who are the most trustworthy corporate investors, according to you, the MedCity News audience?
- Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation
- Google Ventures
- Lilly Ventures
- Novartis Venture Fund
- Roche Venture Fund and St Jude Medical (tie)
Which organizations provided the best experience for entrepreneurs, according to the MedCity News-Lake Whillans survey?
- Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation
- Amgen Ventures
- Novartis Venture Fund
- SR One
- Pfizer Venture Investments, Lilly Ventures and GE Ventures (tie)
This survey takes the temperature of today’s innovators, and empowers investors, entrepreneurs and their allies to make better decisions to grow their businesses. Does it match your experiences? Read the full rankings and share your thoughts with us: [email protected].
