Listen "341. Venture: Medtech’s New Era: Big Tech, AI & Diagnostics with Venture Capital Investor Garheng Kong."
Episode Synopsis
In this episode, Garheng Kong offers a rare investor’s perspective on how medtech companies can scale in a post-COVID, AI-native world. He explores how consumer behavior is reshaping the healthcare ecosystem, why home diagnostics and virtual care are now permanent pillars of the industry, and how AI is already proving to be more capable than humans at pattern recognition and clinical decision support. Garheng also discusses why strategics are actively acquiring again, how health systems are recovering financially, and what this means for innovation pipelines. If you want to understand the forces that will define healthcare in the next decade, this conversation is essential listening.Explore how long-term partnerships drive impact, adoption, and real medtech scale.Episode BreakDown-0:00 - Podcast Intro: Why Investors Want Garheng Kong1:28 - Guest Intro: Garheng from HealthQuest Capital (Austin, TX)2:49 - Garheng's Background: Physician Family, Fresno Roots4:30 - Stanford Days: Chemical Eng, Biology, Volleyball Star6:15 - Duke Powerhouse: MD, PhD, MS, MBA (6 Degrees Total)9:45 - Early Career: GSK, McKinsey, Founding 2 Healthcare Cos12:08 - Market Graph Ad: Stop Chasing Investors, Engineer Markets15:16 - HealthQuest Launch (2011): Growth Equity Origins17:45 - Investment Thesis: Impact Over Sectors (Outcomes + Economics)20:12 - Portfolio Spectrum: Nobel Science to "Paperclip" Scale22:30 - High-End Example: Histosonics' Bubble Tumor Ablation25:15 - Low-Tech Gem: Magnolia Medical's Sepsis False Positive Fix28:45 - M&A Momentum: J&J $30B Deals, Boston Sci Acquisitions32:20 - Hospital Economics: 2025 Profitability Boosting Adoption35:10 - VC Exit Drought Chart: 2020-24 Liquidity Collapse38:40 - DPI Priority: LPs Demand Distributions Over Paper Gains42:15 - Holding Periods Stretch: Early Stage to 8-9 Years44:50 - Medtech Pitch: Reliable 3-4x Returns vs Tech Moonshots47:20 - Silo Busting: Physicians Don't Care About Device/Drug Lines50:05 - AI Revolution: Superhuman Pixel Detection, Shopping Cart Health51:30 - Consumer Shift: Cash-Pay CGMs, Home Tests Post-COVID52:45 - Big Tech Invasion: Apple Watch Referrals, Best Buy Health53:00 - Outro: Future at Tech Intersections, Subscribe AlertAre you a medtech CEO in need of some marketing help attracting investors, growing sales pipeline, and more? Go to GrowMyMedtech.com to book time for a free analysis.Subscribe to our Youtube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGpL_rGt1LQJwinMq_K7gfgSubscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletterhttps://www.stateofmedtechpodcast.com/Follow The State of MedTech onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestateofmedtechInstagram https://www.instagram.com/stateofmedtech/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@stateofmedtechX https://twitter.com/StateofMedTechFacebook https://www.facebook.com/stateofmedtech/Follow Omar M. Khateeb onLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/okhateeb/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/omar.m.khateeb/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@omarkhateebofficialX https://twitter.com/OmarMKhateebFacebook https://www.facebook.com/OmarMKhateeb/#medtech #healthcareinnovation #venturecapital #aiinhealthcare #medicalinnovation
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