Connecting Startups to Investors: Ask the Investor Forum Breakfast

The INVEST Digital Health conference, scheduled for September 28 in Dallas, will offer healthcare startups the opportunity to meet traditional and strategic investors in an intimate setting to gain insight into investment strategies and the criteria investors are looking for in digital health startups.

The forums are designed to complement a conference program that highlights employee health benefits and digital health trends. It is limited to four startup founders/CEOs for one investor.

During a series of breakfast forums at the conference, startups can pay an additional $99 to attend these informative and interactive discussions and gain insight into the companies’ investment strategy. Here is an overview of the investors who will participate.

Parth Desai, Principal, Flare Capital Partners supports Flare Capital’s investments in Aetion, BeMe Health, Beaming Health, Birch AI, HealthVerity and Suki AI. He previously backed Bright Health (IPO) and Healthreveal (acquired by Accolade). He is also a member of the advisory board of the Boston University School of Public Health. Prior to joining Flare Capital, he was an investor at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) Ventures, where he focused on applications of artificial intelligence to healthcare operations, leading investments in Saykara (acquired by Nuance), Syllable AI and Workfusion.

Jane Rho, Investor, Venture Capital Funds, DaVita Venture Group leads venture capital investments in health technology, diagnostics and technology services companies. Prior to joining the DaVita Venture Group, she worked with and consulted on several early stage health tech startups. Prior to that, she was a management consultant in the New York office of Bain & Company.

Branden Fini, Principal, Providence Ventures

Providence Ventures is a Seattle and Menlo Park-based digital health-focused venture capital firm that invests in companies that address key pain points in the health ecosystem. The company is leveraging its deep corporate health system network to drive adoption of platforms serving self-insured providers, payers and employers, among others. Since joining PV, Branden has invested in OrthAlign, MacroHealth, Arrive Health (fka RxRevu), and Kno2. He currently sits on the boards of MacroHealth, Arrive, Omada and Kno2 as an observer.

Ryan Collins, Principal, Noro-Moseley Partners has over eight years of experience in healthcare information technology, healthcare services, investment banking and private equity. Noro-Moseley Partners is an Atlanta-based private equity firm. Ryan works with their healthcare portfolio companies such as Upward Health, Medix Infusion, Findhelp and Cariloop.

Rachel Kern, Vice President, FirstTrust Capital has over 10 years of experience in healthcare information technology, healthcare services, investment banking and private equity. She has held her position at FTPP, headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois, since November 2016. She has led investments in a wide range of health technology and services companies, including Predict Health, Vynca, Third Eye Health and Script Health.

Dennis Depenbusch – Director, Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas is responsible for the direction, coordination, evaluation and management in the development and direction of strategic investments. The goal of the initiative is to develop a portfolio of investments that improves Kansas’ (and the country’s) healthcare marketplace, improves the company’s core business, and generates revenue. Prior to BCBS Kansas, he was CEO and President of Ulterius Technologies in Wichita. Previously, he held leadership and board positions for various technology and health-related start-ups in the United States and Europe.