NEXT VENTūRES

Truth, Lie, or Legend? For the last 10 recordings of my podcast, the Chief Eternal Optimist, I’ve kicked things off with 2 Truths and a Lie. Why? Because nothing gets to the heart of the unknown like a little friendly game—especially when my guest is a superhuman like Melanie (Mel) Strong. Mel isn’t just a leader; she’s an icon. As the Founding Partner of NEXT VENTūRES (with Lance Armstrong), she’s shaping the future of health and wellness with investments in game-changing companies like ōURA, Outside, and Momentous. Oh, and did I mention she’s an all-around amazing human? But enough about her incredible resume—let’s get to some good stuff. In this teaser ?? from our podcast, Mel drops a nugget that might just surprise you. The question is: ?? Is this a truth, a lie, or is she pulling a fast one on all of us? Put your guess in the comments below ?? and let’s see who’s got the best poker face. Spoiler alert: Mel's got some serious game. ??? Catch the full episode here: ?? Apple: https://lnkd.in/gV58bXRX ?? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/g9uRm_dF P.S. No pressure, but if you’re wrong, you owe me a Tosi Snacks + a tube of Nuun Hydration. ?? #cultureFIRSTleadership #ChiefEternalOptimist

We founded NEXT VENTūRES in 2019, leveraging our insights as athletes, operators, and patients to shape the future of human performance and empower healthier lives through fitness, wellness, and nutrition. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped global health priorities, revealing that focusing solely on human performance was too narrow in a world grappling with inaccessible and unreliable care. In 2022, we expanded into clinical care, leveraging our team’s expertise in navigating regulatory and financial complexities to further our mission of empowering billions to lead healthier lives. This evolution positioned us to capitalize on the seminal shift across all populations, where proactive care is increasingly integral to reducing downstream utilization through a Whole Person Care model. ōURA is such a beautiful example of our thesis at work: a wearable that has evolved from a biohacker’s tool into a mainstream device offering a holistic view of health across demographics. From busy parents to individuals recovering from illness, Oura empowers users to better understand and manage their health, with the potential to influence downstream utilization. Engagement among Oura members aged 65+ has catalyzed a partnership with Essence Healthcare's Medicare Advantage plan, enabling eligible members to receive a complimentary Oura Ring and membership. Members can integrate Oura’s data—such as sleep patterns, resting heart rate (RHR), heart rate variability (HRV), and SpO2—into their existing population health system, advancing personalized care for older adults. And earlier this week, Dexcom (NASDAQ: DXCM), a leader in glucose biosensing, announced a strategic and financial partnership with Oura to integrate glucose data with Oura’s biometrics. This collaboration will provide users with a comprehensive view of metabolic and overall health. These milestones mark a pivotal moment in Oura’s healthcare evolution, paving the way for deeper partnerships with payors and providers while redefining standards in personalized, data-driven care. We are deeply proud to support a portfolio company so aligned with our belief that the future of health is proactive and interconnected across the care continuum. A huge congrats to Tom Hale and everyone on the Oura team. https://lnkd.in/gyZj3Wnx

Today, ōURA announced a strategic partnership with Dexcom to enable two-way data flow between Dexcom glucose biosensors and apps and Oura Ring and the Oura App, providing a first-of-its-kind metabolic health management experience. Along with the partnership, Dexcom has invested $75 million in Oura’s Series D funding, bringing Oura’s valuation to more than $5 billion.? Oura’s CEO, Tom Hale joined CNBC Squawk Box this morning to discuss the partnership and what it means for Oura’s future in metabolic health.?Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/gGf5NSBR

At Vital, we’re creating a new era of diagnostics—one that’s transparent, innovative, and trustworthy. Our team's work on the VitalOne is a story of indomitable spirit and meticulous focus, brought to life through our revolutionary breakthroughs and data. Today, we’re proud to share something big: an introduction to the advancements underlying the VitalOne has been published in Sensors & Diagnostics, a leading peer-reviewed journal. We are excited to be an open book and share our team’s hard work with the scientific community. Find the open-access publication here: https://lnkd.in/gh_e6u-N Hear more from our co-founder, Mounir A. Koussa, in the video below. Our goal is simple: support providers, empower patients, and make care accessible for more people, in more places. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned. #sensorsanddiagnostics, Royal Society of Chemistry

A few years ago Dr. Peter Attia came to speak at our annual meeting. I’d listened to his podcasts and read his newsletters, and was familiar with his view on longevity and health optimization. But his perspective on healthspan versus lifespan was so refreshing, and surprisingly accessible. At a time when preventative healthcare can feel out of reach (only 3% of health spending in the U.S. is focused on prevention), his research validates why we started NEXT VENTūRES. Accessible, proactive care reduces the occurrence of chronic disease, improves quality of life, and lowers healthcare costs. As we spend more time researching emerging longevity care models, Lance caught up with Peter in this timely interview: https://lnkd.in/gNxxnwU3

As part of our commitment to expand access to revolutionary health insights and information, Oura has partnered with Essence Healthcare, a leading provider of comprehensive Medicare Advantage plans. This partnership will redefine personal health management for seniors across the country, integrating Oura’s advanced biometric tracking into their daily lives at no additional cost. Read more about this first-of-its-kind partnership on Oura’s Pulse Blog. https://lnkd.in/gEhAVP4m #WithOura

From Oregon to Indiana, it was a pleasure hosting Melanie (Mel) Strong from NEXT VENTūRES at our Evansville headquarters this week! In-person visits like this provide valuable time to align with our clients and strengthen our partnership. We appreciate Mel making the trip and the productive discussions that followed. Looking forward to what’s next as we continue working together!

Since we first founded NEXT VENTūRES in 2019, we've been looking forward to the day when we might be selected to attend RAISE Global - one of the most well-respected investor forums. Over 800 managers applied this year, and I'm excited to be one of the 100 selected. A big thanks to those who supported and mentored us, especially Brad Silverberg, Zachary Bogue, Robin Thurston, Elizabeth Weil, Lo Toney, Caroline Lewis, Dan Caruso, eric sippel, Stacey Finerman, James Joaquin, Kim Moore, Kara Nortman and many others. https://lnkd.in/gm-xY9cq #RAISEGlobalSummit #VentureCapital

It's a hot job summer and I'm feeling the heat wave (pun intended - please stay hydrated today my fellow Californians!!! ?? ) I'm looking for someone with a background in consulting, BizOps, and/or investment banking that is looking to use their superpowers for good. ?

A huge thanks to Samir Kaji, Hana Yang and the whole Allocate team for hosting us at this year's Beyond Summit. LPs and GPs, mark your calendars for next year's event May 19-21 in San Diego! And a special thanks to Jordan Stein for moderating a great panel.