The MedCity INVEST annual conference in Chicago, is seeking applications from a wide variety of healthcare startups for our largest pitch event: Pitch Perfect. The event, scheduled for May 22-24 at the Ritz Carlton, offers opportunities for entrepreneurs to network with investors and attend intimate forums to better understand their investment strategies through Ask the Investor.

The competition includes five different tracks in which six finalists will be selected to participate:

• Biopharma
• Diagnostics
• Medical Devices
• Health Tech: Provider/Payer
• Health Tech: Consumer/Employer

Each of these categories have seen shifts in investment trends in recent years. At the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference last month, MedCity News Editor in Chief Arundhati Parmar spoke with Eli Casdin, founder and chief investment officer of Casdin Capital. He talked about the gradual but increasing convergence of therapeutics companies and device/data companies.

“Everything is starting to converge and you’ll find these therapeutics companies talk about data and how to find the patient and data companies talking about using AI and how to find a better molecule.”

In the diagnostics sector, industry experts from PerkinElmer recently highlighted some trends they expect to continue building momentum. Among their observations were innovation in life sciences research and development.

Yves Dubaquie, senior vice president of diagnostics at PerkinElmer noted that long Covid has renewed the diagnostic industry’s interest in diagnostics aimed at chronic diseases.

“Recent research shows that individuals with long Covid were more likely to have autoimmunity markers in their blood than those who had recovered quickly or never contracted the virus. This should tell us that further development of new and existing diagnostic tools to understand immune response at the cellular level will be worthwhile in 2023 and beyond, not only for long Covid, but for other conditions too. Current research around chronic fatigue syndrome, for example, could lead to improved diagnostics and treatment for more people affected by this lesser understood condition.”

In the realm of medical devices, a PwC podcast focused on the future of medtech aired in the fourth quarter of 2022. Elena Pretto, a director serving its medical devices clients, said provider burnout is fostering the growth of “remote patient monitoring as a way and a means to help the providers solve some of their problems and reduce some of the pressures on their staff.”

Another trend Pretto identified is the rise of product/device-enabled services.

“It’s the device as a pathway to access a larger value that can be delivered from a service. We see companies, for instance, extending into pre-surgical planning, postoperative management and consultations bring in navigation capabilities.”

MedCity Reporter Katie Adams captured investor perspectives in digital health for 2023. Morgan Cheatham, vice president of Bessemer Venture Partners weighed in.

He shared that “companies with the strongest ability to raise capital will be those that serve multiple stakeholders…Investors find companies more attractive if they can create value for providers, pharma, payers, employers, and consumers.”

In an article highlighting femtech investment, Adams spoke with Francesca de De Quesada Covey,  chief investment officer at TheVentureCity. She offered her perspective on why femtech investment may be more resistant to the broader downturn in digital health investment seen in 2022, particularly tech aimed at consumers.

“As women navigate a post-Roe V. Wade country, many feel they need to ‘take healthcare into their own hands and advocate for themselves in ways that the traditional healthcare system doesn’t allow,’ she said.

To apply for INVEST Pitch Perfect, fill in the form here. The application deadline is February 28. Finalists will be required to register for the conference to compete. The startup rate is $795.

Photo: plustwentyseven, Getty Images