Blog

Each year, in the forests of Jyväskylä, Finland, startups, innovators and entrepreneurs take the nerve racking, high-stakes “pitch” to the next level

And with technology, the pace is exponential. Case in point, we recently published a piece on The Cohabitation of Digital Therapeutics and Pharma in the House of Digital Health. In the short time since, the Digital Therapeutic (DTx) space has continued to grow with new companies forming, existing companies expanding into new indications, or solutions advancing in their development stage. It seemed like an enigmatic discipline.

Developing nations are, for the first time, being impacted by the kinds of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) historically associated with wealthy countries, which now require interventions in similar measure. Diseases like cancer, diabetes, lung and cardiovascular disease are on the rise - 72% of all global deaths in 2016 were attributed to NCDs - and are caused by lifestyle and environmental factors such as poor diet, smoking, and toxic air quality.

Bayer’s G4A Ventures creates new businesses in Digital Health, unlocking new revenue streams and boosting existing ones by improving the lives of patients and consumers. Our foundation is understanding desires and behaviors in the context of situations. We focus on this through every step, from the challenge question through minimum viable product testing and into commercialization. G4A Ventures normally takes a solution to market.

Our five senses are how we understand the world around us. The ability to see, taste, touch, smell, and hear provide information that streams into our consciousness 100% of the time. The smell of trees after the rain, the sound of a live jazz riff on upright bass, the sight of your grandchild taking their first steps … these are the joys of life. Unfortunately for people experiencing Macular Degeneration, the slow dissolve of central sight is marked by blurry vision, and is particularly common with old age.

Check out the May 17 Webinar - pics, recording and click here for transcript!

“Oxygen. Everything needs it: bones, muscle, and even, while it calls the earth it’s home, the soul.” - Mary Oliver from Thirst

The poetry isn’t lost on scientists. Oxygen is the life-force that fuels the complex human body. Each bodily system relies on it, and on each other in turn. And Lung Disease, unfortunately, attacks the very core of it.

In the last three years, the Digital Therapeutics space has exploded. Positioned as a non-invasive and data-driven approach to health and care, it’s easy to see why. But the big question on everyone’s mind is whether Digital Therapeutics (DTx) is in collaboration or competition with the Pharma industry. A few months ago, I got to the spend the day at DTx West in San Mateo, CA, where I spoke on a panel on precisely this topic - Pharma and DTx: A Match Made In Heaven? - and was in good company alongside Sanofi, Sandoz, and Genentech.

Paris: the City of Lights. And of tech? Yes, as it turns out. As no stranger to innovation, Paris earned their lit-up nickname for being one of the first cities to install electricity. When Tech Tour brought their investor-focused conference to Paris last year, we knew we had to be there. Tech Tour is unique in that, at each tour stop, they exclusively showcase local talent and cover a variety of tech sectors - everything from healthcare, bio tech, clean tech, med tech, and more.  We at G4A were excited to see what emerging technologies would await us.