Secrets for impressing health investors: insider tips from a healthtech startup
Small Steps Vol. 90: Sponge cities to combat climate change š§½; a tribute to selfless philanthropist Chuck Feeney š«“; and 13 great literary minds on taming the AI beast āļø.
Kick start
š©ŗ The secret sauce on raising as a healthtech startup. We see high volumes of health tech startups (300 healthtech startups in 2023 alone), and the founders we meet along the way are always keen to understand more about the lay of the land.
To help with your raising journey, check out our blog post for a Q&A with the awesome founders of Mindset Health on what to look for in investors and how to set yourself up for raising success.
Weāve also put together Giant Leapās Guide to Creating Your Health Pitch Deck, to help you think through the kinds of questions you might want to think about when youāre building your deck.Ā Read it here and send it to your health founder friends!
What weāre thinking aboutĀ
š° Chuck Feeney: The Trailblazer. Often dubbed the ultimate example of āgiving while livingā, or the ābillionaire who wasnātā, the world sadly lost philanthropist Chuck Feeney on 9 October 2023. Feeney dedicated his vast fortune, made predominantly from duty free shops, to important social and educational causes, giving away US$8 billion across five continents during his lifetime, mostly anonymously. He was even the inspiration for the Giving Pledge launched by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates in 2010, through which 241 mega-wealthy signatories promised to dedicate a majority of their fortunes to charitable purposes.Ā
Giant Leapās Managing Partner Will Richardson has written a touching tribute in memory of Feeneyās leadership on the transformative power of selfless giving - read it here.Ā
š¤ Taming the AI beast. For a slightly different angle on from the ones you may usually be exposed to in the tech world, check out this piece in The Guardian by some of the worldās leading novelists on how AI could rewrite our future. As Bernadine Evaristo, Jeanette Winterson, Stephen Marche and others comment on what could lie ahead, this is timely content ā particularly as the Open AI saga with the firing and speedy return of CEO Sam Altman fuels the ever-growing schism over the future of AI development.Ā
š Sponge city ā architecture saving us from too much rain. Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu recently won the fieldās biggest award ā the Oberlander Prize ā for his decades-long work in creating āsponge citiesā and demonstrating how nature-focused design is central to reimagining urban spaces to combat climate change. Yu aims to integrate natural water management systems back into urban cityscapes to counter risks from groundwater deletion, to flash flooding and sea-level rise. āSponge citiesā are now popping up around the world, from California to Copenhagen.Ā Ā
We think this is a brilliant example of the work we need to do on climate adaptation and the change in systems thinking toward green infrastructure, and how it can be done with connection to nature, beauty and functionality front and centre. Check out three of Kongjian Yuās landscape designs here.Ā
Sanya Dongāan Wetland Park, Sanya, Hainan Province, China, 2021. [Photo: Ā©Turenscape/courtesy The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Sourced here].Ā
New paths
š§» Who Gives A Crap is after a CX Operations Digital Lead (Remote).
šµ Investible is hiring for multiple Investment Analysts (Sydney and Singapore).
š„ Also, check out our Giant Leap Fund jobs board for over 45+ available positions or fill out our expression of interest form. Thereās even more jobs at ethical companies on the global B-Work job board.
Giant leaps
š Goterra has scored a feature article in the Brisbane Times about how its hungry maggot army is chomping through waste at the Howard Smith Wharves in Queensland.Ā
š Amber Electric recently scored some press, featuring as part of an ABC article on the wholesale power market.Ā
For the road
šļø Whatās next for IPOs in 2024? Many companies, including fintech Cuscal, pulled the pin on listing in 2023 due to volatile market conditions. That may be about to change, with 2024 looking to be a bumper year for floats, that will live or die based on their valuation and how they position their investor register.Ā
š Building a climate army to run the green economy. We all know the climate crisis is a huge problem, but it also represents a huge economic transition that will need a new green workforce to manage it. Terra.do is aiming to place 100,000 Australian workers in roles relating to tackling climate change and recently received an undisclosed investment from Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes via his climate fund Boundless Earth to do just that. Check out Terra.doās climate jobs board and awesome educational content here - the Giant Leap team couldnāt recommend it more.Ā
š± OECD backs digital health tech to drive change. The global peak body measuring the progress of the worldās most developed nations has, for the first time, recognised digital health technology as a key factor in improving global patient outcomes. Prepare to fall off your chairā¦ It cites that a whopping 75% of fax machine (yes, fax machine) traffic globally is attributed to health documents.Ā
š Letās settle the debate on remote work and productivity. In one of the largest of its kind, a study of 554 US public companies done in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group found that businesses who offered flexible work policies outperformed on revenue growth by 16% over those who did not.Ā
ā Stepping into your climate power. Knowing what you can do to play your part in the climate crisis as an individual can often be overwhelming ā but as Voxās Rebecca Leber points out, action towards climate change often starts with having a firm stance on an aspect of the issue and figuring out what levers you can pull in your current role to steer change.Ā
š Clothing brands hone in on the menopause market. Femography is just one example of a swathe of startups catering to this important area of womensā health. Itās created attire that reacts and adapts to hot flushes, wicking sweat and regulating body temperature.Ā Ā
šø Blockās Jack Dorsey chips in to promote First Nations entrepreneurs. The global entrepreneur has pledged $3 million towards First Australians Capital, a fund backing Indigenous Australian-led companies.
š¦¾ Weāve read a summary of Andreessen's ātechno-optimist manifestoā, so you donāt have to. The FTās Jemima Kelly has done a favour for the planet, summing up his techno-optimist 5000-word manifesto (original here). And now weāll summarise her summary. At its core, the thesis argues that technology is capable of solving every problem faced by society, and snubbing it is both a disservice to humanity and could -- in his view -- cost lives. But the argument negates the very human problems created by new technology introduced without consideration for its impact.Ā
š„ Implant restores this Parkinsonās patient's ability to walk. Yes, you read that right. A French late-stage Parkinsonās patient is now walking again (and miles at a time, at that), thanks to a special device that stimulates nerves in the spine. The procedure is quite invasive and still requires refinement, but represents a huge leap forward in this space.Ā
š± Regenerative farming is taking off in conservative America. Just donāt make it political. This is an interesting look at how farmers in conservative US states who do not see themselves as climate activists are still adopting sustainable farming practices that will be a great part of the climate solution. We think this emphasises the role that framing and communication have to play in getting those traditionally resistant to action to adopt the policies we need for the future.Ā
šÆ Your digital twin may save your life. More science-fiction thatās becoming just science. Computational models that create a digital clone of your body and use it to discover the best course of treatment may soon be a possibility. Proof of concept trials start next year.Ā
Save the dateĀ
š Ā 23 November: One Roofās Startup Women of the Year - the Ultimate Anti-Pitch is back! Apply now for your chance to pitch for prizes valued up to $50,000. The event will be held in Sydney. Get in quick - applications close Sunday November 12! More info on how to apply here.Ā
š November 28: Climate Saladās Australian Climate Tech Festival & Awards 2023, Sydney. Gear up for a full day of interactive demos, engaging content, inspiring pitches, networking and awards on climate tech at the Sydney Town Hall. Tickets here, Climate Salad members receive a discount. Ā
š November 29: The Australian Democracy Networkās intimate spring event with Executive Director Saffron Zomer, reflecting on global trends to protect democracy. 6 - 8 pm on 29 Nov in Sydney at Vivcourt, 188 Oxford St, Paddington. RSVP by email at info@australiandemocracy.org.au.Ā
š December 4: Applications close for the Go-Green Co-Innovation Programās first round of Grants. The program is a joint-initiative between Australia and Singapore, offering grants up to $500,000. More details here.
š December 15: TechStars Strategic Workshop kicks off. Register now connect with peers and meet new experienced mentors for your business. Register quickly as thereās only 30 spots in the program. Thereās two workshops on offer, a virtual one on December 12, and an in-person event on December 15 held in Sydney.Ā
š January 8: Applications close for the Hatch Taronga Accelerator Program. Itās aimed at supporting startups and companies that assist with conservation efforts. Participating companies learn through a 12-week accelerator program and can also be awarded up to $50,000.