Michael Yang, Senior Managing Partner at OMERS Ventures
Mar 20, 2024
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Michael Yang is the Senior Managing Partner at OMERS Ventures, with a rich background in health tech investments. He shares insights on the evolving role of product management in the healthcare sector and the shift from aggressive growth to capital efficiency in funding strategies. The discussion touches on the current landscape of M&A activity, challenges faced by health tech startups today, and the types of talent entering the market. Yang also emphasizes the importance of unique value propositions in ensuring successful outcomes in a saturated health tech ecosystem.
The evolution of product management in health tech emphasizes the integration of user experience and marketing strategies for optimal organization growth.
Current economic conditions necessitate that health tech startups prioritize capital efficiency and demonstrate operational viability amid fundraising challenges.
Deep dives
Evolution of Product Management in Health Tech
The speaker discusses the transformation of product management within health tech, tracing its roots from the 1990s when producers played a key role in content creation, to the rise of dedicated product management roles. In the early days, health tech products were largely developed by enterprise software companies transitioning to cloud-based solutions, resulting in the introduction of product managers and marketers. The 2010s saw a significant shift towards product design, influenced by leaders focused on user experience, leading to the emergence of product-led organizations. Today's successful organizations integrate product management with growth strategies, highlighting the importance of versatile roles that encompass marketing and user experience.
Impact of Economic Changes on Health Tech Fundraising
Current economic conditions have dramatically altered health tech fundraising strategies, moving from a focus on rapid growth to a need for capital efficiency and demonstrable outcomes. The speaker emphasizes how rising interest rates have constrained the availability of capital, forcing founders to adopt a more sustainable approach and prioritize profitability over aggressive expansion. This shift in strategy has led to a reevaluation of financial health, pushing startups to demonstrate their unit economics and operational viability. As a result, founders are now required to be more resourceful and strategic in their fundraising efforts, especially amidst fears of a looming recession.
Consolidation Trends in Health Tech
Despite expectations of consolidation within the health tech sector, the anticipated wave of mergers and acquisitions has yet to materialize, with many startups managing to extend their capital runway. Investors and acquirers are cautious, as broader economic uncertainty leads to hesitance in making bold moves like acquisitions. The speaker notes that many founders are buying time, hoping for market improvements as they await a potential revitalization in investment opportunities. This delay in consolidation reflects both the initial overvaluation period and ongoing stabilization efforts by startups navigating the challenging economic landscape.
Navigating Talent Dynamics in Health Tech
The health tech industry is experiencing a fluid exchange of talent, with skilled professionals transitioning between companies to adapt to the changing market landscape. The speaker highlights the growing trend of experienced individuals entering health tech from other industries, which enriches the talent pool with diverse perspectives and skills. However, there remains concern about burnout among healthcare providers, as many clinicians are opting to leave the field altogether. To stand out in this competitive environment, tech professionals are encouraged to leverage their experiences and network effectively, especially as the industry evolves toward more sophisticated operations and problem-solving methodologies.
Concept to Care speaks to Michael Yang. Michael is the Senior Managing Partner for OMERS Ventures, a $1.5B assets under management venture capital fund that invests in early stage B2B software and early growth tech-enabled services businesses. He is a long time investor in health tech and some of his prior investments include Healthline (acquired by Summit Partners), Talix (acquired by Edifecs), BodyMedia (acquired by Jawbone), PeerWell (acquired by Bardavon) and Accolade (ACCD). He currently sits on the board of Caraway Health, a healthcare provider for GenZ. Prior to OMERS Ventures, Michael was a Managing Director at Comcast Ventures and previously a VP/GM of Yahoo! Health.
This episode was recorded in November of 2023.
In our conversation, we discuss:
A VC’s perspective on the evolution of product and how Michael seen the role of product change over time
Attributes of a product led organization, examples of that in health tech, and the structures of management teams to enable it
Defining Product in Tech-Enabled Healthcare Services
Then vs. Now: The Venture Capital Ecosystem
Consolidation of healthcare solutions in this macro economic environment
Previous and current M&A activity in health tech — best possible outcomes with these transactions
Health tech pivots in today’s economy
Exits in health tech, common denominators, and who are the buyers
Starting a venture backed health tech business today
Types of talent entering the health tech markets and who is best positioned to win