Challenge:

A major European venture capital investor needed help to review the business plan and competitive positioning of a novel point-of-care diagnostics company. The company was developing a fully integrated point of care diagnostic instrument platform to enable sensitive and fast tests in the ICU/ER/OR.  The technology was at an early stage, with the company looking to establish the platform’s unique selling propositions (USPs) and to freeze the design of its cartridge and analyzer. To supplement its internal capability, the investor wanted to reinforce its due diligence of the company by calling on external expertise.

Solution:

Our lead diagnostics consultant, with more than 20 years’ commercial experience in the diagnostics industry, headed the project. Our analysis showed that although the novel platform had superior economics relative to key competitors, its potential lead could be easily eroded by the time it was needed to broaden the test menu.

As such, investor returns were lower than targeted and the investment did not proceed.