MVP BLOG - Markets of Interest: Med/IT Crossover
One of our goals for the MVP Blog is to let our readers know the markets that currently excite us. Over the past two years, we have been looking at the med-IT crossover market closely. We see this as a large opportunity to infuse the productivity boosts that come with good information technology tools and practices into the healthcare vertical.
Two market segments that we think are interesting: sensors and data correlation.
The biological sensor market is poised to grow exponentially in total units shipped and types of substances covered over the next decade. The market is a direct beneficiary of the application of MEMs, nanotube and CMOS technology towards biological measurement. Matrix Sensors, an MVP company, is taking advantage of the dropping manufacturing cost curve in developing Point-of-Care diagnostic measurement instruments based on a MEMs device that will cost less per use versus current solutions. We continue to explore other markets and companies for possible investment as well.
Sensors are also benefiting from the dropping power/cost curve for wireless functionality. The ability to couple a disposable sensor with a wireless modulator together, all powered with a simple coin battery for days, allows many new use cases to be imagined. Whether using ultra-low power WiFi, Bluetooth-Low Energy, Ultrawideband, Nordic, or some proprietary protocol, the ability to get the data off the sensor to an aggregation point allows for better results for the clinician and patient.
Aggregating multiple sensors’ data creates an opportunity to run correlation and data analysis. These functions were not readily available before. Every day, physicians take in multiple vitals to come up with a diagnosis for each patient. The ability to run this correlation electronically allows for a more consistent/repeatable/accurate measurement. Of course, this does not replace the physician’s years of experience and “gut” instincts. The analysis ability is just another tool in his or her bag of tricks. The opportunities in this space include practice-specific tools, general data analytics packages, middleware solutions and consumer information portals.
This was a very high level read on an area of interest for us. We will continue to have posts like these over time. We also will dive deeper into some of these areas to have more nuanced conversations.
Finally, in order to continue to educate ourselves and to meet thought leaders in this space, I will be attending the Wireless Lifescience Alliance event in San Diego on May 11th: link
I hope to see you there.
Some other useful links:
Wireless Health Linkedin Group