GSK-backed venture fund APVC sees opportunities in ultrasound

Action Potential Venture Capital, a corporate investment arm of GSK, sees therapeutic opportunities in ultrasound, according to a partner at the group.

In this week’s DeviceTalks Weekly Podcast, Action Venture partner Juan-Pablo Mas explains why APCV led the recent round in Exo, a maker of the first piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) portable ultrasound imaging technology.

Mas also updates listeners on the venture fund’s interest in exploring other types of technologies. And he introduces LatinxVc, a non-profit group he co-founded to create opportunities for newcomers to venture capital.

Trust Securities Managing Director Kaila Krum says Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) executives are retooling the company to keep pace with smaller, more focused competitors.

Breaking down the company’s Q1 analyst call, Krum says Medtronic is seen as a company that’s too big to grow market share quickly. On the call, new CEO Geoff Martha emphasized gaining market share at one point telling investors the company would “go big or go home.”

Krum says Medtronic will pour resources into several critical areas to drive growth, including soft-tissue robotics, diabetes and renal denervation.

“At a time when a lot of companies right now are forced to pull back on spending, Medtronic has been in a position where it can flex its balance sheet,” Krum said. “So they’ve been talking about investing in the pipeline, investing in structural, operational and cultural changes. I think all of that combined should support their growth goals over the next quarters and the years to come.”

To read our comprehensive list of how Medtronic can grow, go here.

MassDevice Senior Editor Danielle Kirsh joins the show to discuss the upcoming Women in Medtech issue in Medical Design & Outsourcing magazine while assistant editor Sean Whooley walks us through the week’s biggest medtech news involving Abbott (NYSE:ABT), Boston Scientific(NYSE:BSX) , iRhythm Technologies(NSDQ:IRTC), and Pelvital.