Being a General Partner in a Venture Capital Fund is a challenging and stimulating endeavor. My background in medicine has provided me with a unique perspective to weigh and distill the ideas each new company presents.The process of developing an idea and seeing it to fruition is both rewarding and meaningful. But to be honest, at times, I long for the predictability of cataract surgery. The surgical process has been honed by years of practice and thousands of surgeons to a point where you developed trust with the patient, and you had solid evidence to substantiate your claim of post-surgical improvement.
Within hours of the surgery, over 99% were pleased with the result, and that makes a surgeon happy.
Venture capital due to the ‘cutting edge’ nature of the investments, will never be able to replicate those results, however, the process we use to evaluate a company is similar to how I evaluated new products I used in surgery.
After 25 years, of sifting through the proclaimed best technology, best techniques, and best equipment, you learn to trust the areas you can effectively measure and mitigate those you can’t.
Choosing which companies to invest in can be daunting, but following a repeatable strategy, I now start with new companies that excel in the process that our strategic partners in Prosperous Ventures 360 (PV360) have developed.
I began the close relationship when I was recruited to help create the methodology for the development of a number of health, wellness, and medical projects. Not only did I become an investor in some of these companies, but came to appreciate the process PV360 now uses to screen and mentor new companies, which is how we are able to assure optimization through the STRT Fund. As chair of the STRT Investment Committee, I now find my training has come full circle.
Today, my favorite activity is when I get to investigate a new company that has passed PV360s rigorous screening. I do a deep dive into the company to get a better feel beyond what the numbers predict. I can also call upon physicians in other areas, so they can tell me their impression of the ‘idea’ and what obstacles the company may face.
A few of the target assets we are looking at investing in are companies that fall within not only my expertise, but also ones that help me in my day-to-day, (like a portable bed topper that is engineered to help traveling athletes sleep better, a ground-breaking lens technology that replicates the way the eye process information.)
While venture capital can not perfectly predict the future, investing in multiple companies that are likely to succeed is a solid step forward. And that is what puts a smile on my face these days.
Dr. Char Reder, Founder and Partner STRT Fund