Sebastian J. Sam

Create Health Ventures Launches Inaugural $21M Fund for Early-Stage Digital Health Startups  Create Health Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage digital health companies, has closed its debut fund, raising $21 million, surpassing its initial target. Launched in 2024, Create Health Ventures is based in Austin, TX, and Chicago, IL. The firm focuses on technologies that enhance healthcare access, improve patient experiences, and deliver value across payers, providers, and pharmaceutical companies. *Its primary focus includes:   1. Payer-Facing Technologies: Solutions that improve member experiences, enable seamless data and workflow integration, and scale technology across geographies.   2. Clinical Trial Enablement: Tools to help pharmaceutical companies recruit and retain participants for late-stage clinical trials as demand increases. *Founders and Approach:   Create Health Ventures was co-founded by Emma Cartmell and Amit Aysola, healthcare veterans with over 45 years of combined experience. They bring operational expertise, regulatory insight, and an extensive network to portfolio companies. The firm exclusively invests in startups led by healthcare industry founders, leveraging its unique value-added platform for scaling businesses.  *The platform includes: - Business development support   - Access to executive coaches   - Connections to healthcare leaders   - Cross-selling opportunities among portfolio companies  *Key Quotes by GPs:  - Emma Cartmell: “Founders from the healthcare industry understand the challenges and opportunities to improve patient outcomes. Supporting them is the most impactful way we can positively transform healthcare.”   - Amit Aysola: “Payers and pharmaceutical companies are driving demand for connected, scalable solutions, and we are investing in companies to meet these needs.”  *Investments and Impact:  The firm has made five investments so far and partners with foundations, impact investors, and strategic healthcare veterans to mentor portfolio companies.  *Portfolio CEO Feedback:   - Dr. Chip Grant (Watershed Health): “Create Health Ventures has been invaluable in scaling operations and fundraising.”   - Shara Cohen (Carallel): “They are the most collaborative and active investor team I’ve worked with.”   - Neil Batlivala (Pair Team): “They’ve helped us manage growth and reach underserved communities.” If you are experiencing difficulties in raising fresh capital and would require warm introductions to new LPs, contact G+QUANT     ▶ Please use G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks, or send your inquiry directly to info@gplusquant.com #VentureCapital #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #Startups #ClinicalTrials #PatientCare #HealthTech #HealthEquity #CreateHealthVentures

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This HealthTech company just raised a $53M Series A led by a16Z. Their goal is to help you live healthy past 100... and they're hiring. I've been following Mark Hyman, MD on social media for a while. One of his major focuses is the power of knowing your health data. Knowledge puts the power of prevention in your hands. I'm familiar seeing him on Intagram reels, not morning business TV. So I was surprised when I saw him on Squak Box two days ago. He was announcing the $53M Series A for Function Health. A little background on Function Health The Function Health founding team is stellar... Chief Medical Officer - Mark Hyman, MD: One of the nations foremost experts on health and longevity and founder of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. CEO - Jonathan Swerdlin: He's a 3x founder (Function will be #4) with a previous HealthTech startup under his belt. No shortage of experience and first time founder syndrome here. COO - Pranitha Patil: She published a medical paper in a scientific journal and led health strategy teams at Accenture before dropping out of grad school at Harvard during COVID to found the company. CTO - Mike Nemke: He's a former Green Beret (US Army Special Forces) who traded his rifle for a keyboard and became an AI engineer. Before Function, he was the Director of AI & Machine Learning for a management consulting firm. CPO - Seth Weisfeld: Started his career in creative design before becoming an early Vine product designer. For the last decade he was at Meta and spent the last two years working on Generative AI products. The product is stellar... The idea is to make getting your health data easy, affordable, and accessible. For just $499, they run over 100 tests two times per year and decode the results in an easy-to-understand report you can take action on or take to your primary care doctor. I see it as a way of preventing negative health outcomes and health anxiety by understanding what is happening in your body before it becomes an issue. They've already saved multiple lives through early disease detection. The traction is stellar... In their announcement, Andreessen Horowitz said, "Prior to Function, we'd only seen this level of organic, hockey-stick growth in companies that sell vices online." And the icing on the cake is that they're hiring for badass remote roles... - Medical Content Writer - Chief of Staff to CEO - Chief of Staff to COO - VP of Marketing - Head of B2B Channels - Director of People - VP of Finance - Software Engineer - Senior Product Designer - Junior Product Designer Don't sleep on applying. This company will be an exciting ride and, if successful, could change the way we approach medicine and health forever. — Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Kyle Thomas for more insights.

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Just want to give a shoutout to OpenVC. It's been a great resource, I've used it off and on for a few months, and today decided to get the yearly pass. It allows you to search VCs and submit your deck, with tracking and analytics. So you can see every slide a VC looks at on your deck, and when they back out. Helps for deck fine-tuning. It also allows VC's to tell you why they passed if they did. I've also gotten some followup meetings on ZOOM. It's just a great resource that doesn't cost thousands of dollars a month like most others. Also, had some tech support issues as well (my fault) and they were handled within half an hour. Thanks Stephane Nasser for such a great tool for entrepreneuers.

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Someone broke down the estimated costs of a $15 Sweetgreen salad. We need these cost graphics for digital health to help future founders. Especially for tech enabled cos, the greatest cost is labor. Much of the "value created" is in curation and matching, which means the gross margins are reliant on labor arbitrage. Pay someone $X, but get paid $X+Y% per visit. The challenge with healthcare is that you often have to pick one of two business models: 1. specialized, low volume, high cost, low gross margin % 2. generalized, high volume, low cost, high gross margin % I'd argue founders should focus on gross dollars over the lifetime of the customer (like Jeff Bezos said) instead of gross margin %'s, but we'll leave that for another time. The challenge is that many tech enabled digital health cos have high cost of goods sold (labor) and moderately high product, design, and engineering budgets. We must build differentiated solutions for patients, clinicians, and clients to be out incumbents, however, we're realizing that companies are ultimately valued on the discounted value of future cash flows. And the high SG&A costs at most organizations might be inbalanced to the unit economics of the business. I'm not sure the math pencils out for everyone unfortunately. But I'm just a guy on the internet, would love to hear the thoughts from those smarter than I (you!). Comment below. --- p.s. I have no idea the accuracy of the graphic and not an investor in Sweetgreen. Cheers. Credit: David Crowther

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Thanks Chinenye. I couldn't agree with you more. However while we work on this, we also have to be mindful of the fact that bias isn't just the problem in this data rather a combination of poor economy and bias. Of all these regions mentioned, Africa is the least performing market. therefore Davidson, naturally you would expect investors to do less there. They are not charity organisations but a venture set up for outsized returns.Therefore the major issue we should be discussing is, which sectors are receiving this funding in Africa? Are the investments coming to sectors that will lift the other sectors up fundamentally or to sectors that will window dress the issues? or Worst still the ones that will reap-off on the people and distort rather than disrupt the system. (eg Nigeria POS fintech and the real banking system. a discussion for another day). Until strong investments are made in the technology sectors powering manufacturing strong job growth in Africa be it REAL B2B eCommerce not repeating what is already being done, or B2C eCommerce that is truly efficient and cost effective. Equally important is the improvement in the purchasing power of the consumers via credit card system. in as much as Sub-Sahara Africa lacks good credit system that captures the average citizens and residents, B2C will continue to struggle. in as much as our logistics investments are predominantly in the last mile delivery rather than efficient crosborder logistics, both B2B abd B2C eCommerce will struggle to scale efficiently and profitability. So, it's time for the investors to do away with the low hanging fruits and start tackling the real issues that will empower and propel Africa economies. That's where the main bias lies.

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Day 92: LvlUp Labs – The Hub for Founders in LA! Exciting news, friends! I’m pumped to introduce LvlUp Labs, powered by LvlUp Ventures! LvlUp Labs is an exclusive, founders-only membership community and workspace in Los Angeles – and if you’re a startup founder looking to level up your game, this is the place to be. Here’s why it’s so DOPE: Collaborate & Innovate – It’s a curated space where high-growth startups come together, share ideas, and scale faster. Plus, it’s filled with incredible event programming, mentors, and partnerships that help accelerate growth. Epic Events – From intimate networking mixers to big productions, LvlUp Labs fosters real connections between founders, investors, and the entire venture community. You never know who you’ll meet! Hands-On Resources – Need more than just a cool office? LvlUp Labs has an entire VC ecosystem at your disposal – mentors, investors, and industry leaders are on-site regularly to help you level up. Ready to join the most dynamic startup space in LA? Drop a comment below if you want to learn more about joining our founder community! Let’s make the next days of our journey count, filled with more stories, inspiration, and community impact! P.S. Want to get involved? If this resonates, repost, to share with others ♻️ and follow Javy Martinez for more in the future.

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According to Morning Brew, $12.2 billion in venture capital went into AI-related startups in the first three months of the year. According to SomosVC, Latina/os accounted for only 2% of all venture capital funding. Based on last year's numbers, that's roughly $3.4 billion. In other words, in the first three months of the year, AI has received almost four times as much capital as the entire Latina/o entrepreneurship demographic did in a whole year. Let that sink in.

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Michelle Kislak from Netflix is looking for a Product Manager! It’s Friday people, so you know what that means there will be a lot of product manager roles posted this afternoon, but you have to learn how to pitch yourself to get an interview beyond sending an “I’m interested” message to the hiring team. Do you want access to the rest of the product manager jobs instead of just getting them one by one, then sign up for our exclusive newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj In addition to sending you a fresh batch of urgent product manager roles each day like hot bread out of the oven, I will also be sending you some LinkedIn templates on how to convert these LinkedIn postings into interviews.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj For whatever reason I have been getting a lot of hate comments about posting this many product manager jobs from real product managers. I have no clue how some people can be that angry considering I am trying to help the community out. You can sign up for the postings in my newsletter here.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj I am hosting 7 live trainings next week with the intention of helping as many people land a product manager job as possible for FREE. My team is still posting up the meetups on Eventbrite, but I will be sending an invitation to the following trainings over the weekend.  https://lnkd.in/g7stR_Nj Real Reason Nobody is Landing Product Manager Jobs in 2024 How to Interview Against Product Managers with More Experience Cold Product Manager LinkedIn Message Templates to Convert Interviews Product Manager Resume Templates for Startups and Big Tech Roles Big Tech Product Manager Case Studies of 2024 Secret Product Manager Job Boards and Referral Network How to Increase Product Manager Job Applications w/ Chat GPT + AI PS Please RESHARE this post for all your colleagues still looking for a job. #productmanagement #productmanagementcareers #productmanagementjobs #speedtolead

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Reflecting on another fantastic StartupAZ retreat in Flagstaff last month! I’m grateful to be a part of this incredible community that continually supports technology founders in Arizona. StartupAZ is more than just a network; it’s a powerful ecosystem of founders, mentors, and seasoned entrepreneurs who come together to uplift and propel each other forward. The monthly cohort meetings provide the kind of support and mentorship that makes all the difference in launching and scaling a technology company. This organization has been a game-changer for me personally, connecting me with like-minded leaders and providing the resources needed to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. Being surrounded by other founders who are as passionate about innovation and growth as I am has been truly inspiring. Below is a video from our retreat, showcasing the spirit and energy of this incredible group of people dedicated to pushing the limits of what’s possible. Seeing how much we’ve grown and the impact we’ve had on Arizona’s tech landscape is both humbling and motivating. If you're a founder in Arizona or someone passionate about the startup ecosystem, I highly encourage you to get involved with StartupAZ. Let’s keep building, growing, and supporting the next wave of innovators right here in Arizona! #StartupAZ #FoundersSupportingFounders #ArizonaTech #Entrepreneurship #StartupCommunity #Innovation

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We are excited to share our progress in our turnaround at BODi (NYSE: BODi). We just reported our Q1 2024 financial results with: ·      Our first Free Cash Flow positive quarter since going public in 2021 ·      Our first sequential revenue growth in 2 years ·      First consecutive positive Adjusted EBITDA since going public   Our liquidity position improved by $10 million from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024. While our turnaround plan is still in the execution stage, we all have to acknowledge that after 9 months into the plan, this is incredible progress!    @Carl Daikeler, @Marc Suidan and I will be hosting the conference call will also be available to interested parties through a live and recorded webcast at https://lnkd.in/gHs8TXXj.   Q1 2024 Earnings Release: https://lnkd.in/gpfTdkKq       #Shareholdervaluecreation #DigitalFitness #DigitalHealth

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Today was a big win for consumer health, with Flo Health Inc.'s valuation at $1 billion. We're hearing talk about the market becoming frothy again, but I’d argue—without seeing the detailed financials—that this valuation could be entirely warranted. Flo has built an impressive business, with 5 million paid subscribers and 70 million monthly active users. At $60 per year for users to access the product, this business has hundreds of millions in revenue and plenty of room to grow. It's increasingly clear to me that innovators focused on healthcare have been wildly underestimating consumer business models for years, believing that patients would only opt for solutions covered by their health plans and prescribed or recommended by their doctors. That thesis needs updating, particularly given high deductible plans and soaring co-pays. Innovators building solutions that users genuinely love will win - even in healthcare. These businesses also have the potential to move into B2B channels, which is far easier to do when you have an engaged, loyal user base. I expect we’ll see many more consumer health businesses “pop” in the years to come, further proving that consumers are ready and willing to pay for such solutions. We're watching closely at Cherish Kudos to the team at Flo for this impressive milestone. Lainie Muller Charlotte Yeh Aashima Gupta Avanlee Christine Esther Dyson Alexandra Drane Jessica Kamada Vin Gupta, MD MPA Asheesh Saksena Paul Crnkovich Josh Kampel Steve Chazin Lee Wagner #agingwithattitude #independentliving #consumerdrivencare

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What happened in mental health last week? ⏺ Anise Health raised $3 million to deliver culturally-responsive mental health care for the Asian American community ⏺ Goldman Sachs acquired autism therapy provider Center for Social Dynamics, a care provider to over 4,700 clients across 20 locations. ⏺ Lyra Health CEO David Ebersman announced that he will be stepping back from his role to care for his mental health. Ebersman will take on a new role as Board Chairman. ⏺ Substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider BrightView is closing nine facilities in Massachusetts and Arizona citing challenging operating environments. ⏺ California introduced a bill that would require mental health warning labels on social media sites. It would be the first U.S. state to do so if the bill is passed. ⏺ The Australian Medical Association issued a position statement warning that chronic underfunding and increasingly complex patient presentations are pushing the mental health system to a crisis point. ⏺ Ukrainian startup Healthy Mind raised $1 million to launch an AI platform for mental health in the workplace. ⏺ Indian mental health platform GoodLives raised $129,000 in a pre-seed round, offering AI-driven self-directed exercises alongside expert-led therapy sessions. ⏺ We (The Hemingway Report) launched our 2024 founder survey. Link in comments to contribute. (All links below) __ If you liked this and want insights on the mental health industry in your inbox every week, subscribe to The Hemingway Report newsletter and follow me Steve Duke 📩 #MentalHealth #BehavioralHealth

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TechCrunch broke news of an amazing #AI play with EGYM raising $200M at a $1.2B. What is amazing about this is that they are based in Europe, and they are actually generating meaningful revenue via their #AI play optimized for going to the gym as opposed to other plays that want you to work out at home. This will be a very interesting company to watch and should give #AI Investors pause for more generic plays that are 1) Raising more funds, 2) At higher valuations, 3) With less revenue. What do you think? #management #venturecapital #privateequity #capitalmarkets #ehealth

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We wired our 300th SPV this week via Riverside Ventures 💰💸📈 This does not include deals I have co-syndicated, as most know this is a model I am bullish on and expands the exposure for LPs. I’m not going to do a “10 key learnings from 300 SPV’s” post, ya know… all that stuff you’re supposed to do or whatever here. I cover it weekly via Last Money In Media 🙂 The best curated syndicated deals for accredited investors can now be found via Deal Sheet (our new, paid product). Feeling very motivated from the 300 deals we’ve done! Excited for the next 300 SPV’s and awesome founders/companies to back ahead! We don’t lead rounds or set terms but we are definitely open for business. Onwards & upwards for Riverside Ventures, Last Money In Media, and Deal Sheet...

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An interesting article below, that demonstrates out how San Diego is punching above its weight.  And how Connect's strategy and execution over time, contintues to be central to that success. The article describes the current state of the market in Seattle.  (And i love Seattle.) It's a market that we tend to track with relative to venture fundings.  They used to kick our butts, we outraised them each of the last three years.  This despite the fact they have 3x as many funds there, and 9x the amount of resident capital there. (per pitchbook) Some key takeaways:  * They continue to compare themselves to SIlicon Valley. Instead, we leverage our proximity. *They whine there's not enough local investors (see note above - they have more than us). We bring over 200 VCs to SD annually! * They say founders are not connected with one another. We bring CEOs together regularly, in a variety of ways - private dinners and through our Springboard program. * They say they need to elevate their image on a national & international stage. Why we created and continue to build Five.Ten.Thirty (aka Inno Day).  * And the last paragraph - they need to concentrate on making their region a great place to live. Our mantra: "It's about Better, not Bigger." (See XEO, TL Fund). THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE ON A MISSION TOGETHER!!!  (Comments, whining, suggestions on SD always welcome.) https://lnkd.in/g6Rq_f2Y

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Interesting take on the JWP Connatix merger and the state of things in online advertising....

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One of my proudest moments as an investor occurred today as Alaffia Health announced its series A because it shows how the Aperture® Venture Capital vision of multi-level, multi-generational #impactinvesting is succeeding in the marketplace. Here’s the model in its most basic form : ✅As diverse fund managers with meaningful capital to allocate, we are changing the VC landscape every day just by doing our day jobs. ✅As Black/Brown investors with ~40 years experience collectively, Aperture GPs have access to talent /excellence that others do not, so our portfolio *organically* is more inclusive by race, gender and geography even while optimizing for financial outcomes (all about the alpha). ✅Our most successful portco’s are using financial #innovation to solve market problems that impact underrepresented demographics and underserved communities. Alaffia Health is a shining example of the impact portion of our overall fund thesis, and we couldn’t be prouder of TJ Ademiluyi and Adun Akanni, MPH, PMP - the dynamic brother-sister founder duo whose vision we have steadfastly supported on their journey. Congratulations to TJ and Adun from William Crowder and myself, as well as the whole Aperture team- Marjorie King Philip McKenzie Yves Louis-Jacques Tanvi Lal Michelle Dhansinghani Lisha Bell Katie Kelly Amy Chung Cindy Chong, CFA Brian Fernandes-Halloran Monroe France Jayden Pantel Darren Herman Evan Wladis Neal Triplett Thomas Scriven Peter Ammon Irina Bit-Babik Tim Milanich Rob Rahbari

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The influencer economy has evolved into a $250 billion powerhouse over the last decade, shifting from traditional ad revenue to diverse, value-driven income streams. Authenticity and engagement now reign supreme, with creators launching their own companies to better align with their values and resonate deeply with their audiences. Empowering influencers to create products that reflect their unique visions is transforming the industry, fostering genuine connections and driving meaningful change. By assembling like-minded teams, the focus shifts from promoting others’ brands to nurturing your own, enabling growth and lasting impact. This is the future of influence—leading, innovating, and inspiring in an ever-evolving landscape. Own your future. Own your path forward.

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🌟 Seeking Your Insights: What’s the Standard Referral Fee in Your Industry? 🌟 Hi LinkedIn Community! I’m currently exploring referral business opportunities and am curious about the standard practices across different industries. 💼 👉 What percentage or flat fee do you typically see for referrals in your field? B2B and B2C products/services Real estate or high-value transactions Professional services (e.g., legal, financial, consulting) Digital marketing or affiliate programs Your experiences and insights would be invaluable! Please share your thoughts in the comments or DM me. 🙌 Looking forward to hearing from you! 😊 #ReferralFee #BusinessGrowth #Networking #B2B #B2C #AffiliateMarketing #RealEstate #Consulting

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