Inside the Deal: Healthcare VCs to Watch with Anne DeGheest - How to Build HealthTech That Lasts
Welcome to Inside the Deal: Healthcare VCs to Watch, a video series spotlighting healthcare investors shaping the future of care. In this episode, Anne DeGheest—investor, advisor, and founder of HealthTech Capital—joins Carrie Nixon to explore what it really takes to build and scale a digital health company that endures.
Whether you're a new founder or a seasoned operator, Anne’s insights into market risk, stakeholder alignment, and resilient leadership are invaluable in today’s environment.
Timestamps
0:00 – Meet Anne DeGheest
Carrie introduces Anne, the founder of HealthTech Capital and a true category-creator in digital health.
1:10 – Anne’s Unlikely Path into HealthTech
From Harvard to pulse oximetry to pioneering “HealthTech” in 1986—Anne shares her unconventional start.
3:05 – How to Create a Market (Not Just a Product)
Anne explains why market risk is more important than product risk—and why investors often miss this.
6:15 – What Founders Miss About Stakeholders
From nurses to CFOs, Anne breaks down how founders must deeply understand who makes decisions and why.
13:40 – Building Moats Without Patents
Moats don’t just mean IP. Learn how business models, leases, and customer lock-in can be your best defense.
21:10 – How to Scale the Right Way
Anne shares cautionary tales from companies that scaled too fast without validating their model.
24:30 – Why Flexibility is a Superpower
The most important founder trait? A flexible mindset. Anne explains how to act fast, listen well, and adapt.
27:00 – Why Anne is Also an Artist
From Qigong to digital painting, Anne reflects on balancing the left and right brain—and why creativity makes her a better investor.
Quotes from Anne
“Start with the problem, then bring the tech.”
Anne DeGheest urges founders to ground their solutions in clinical need—not hype.
“Iterate boldly. Nobody nails it the first time.”
Anne reminds innovators that learning fast—and adjusting faster—is how real companies are built.
“Listen. Act. Adjust. This is an essential mindset.”
For Anne, founders who treat feedback as fuel are the ones who win.
Featured Q&A
What’s the biggest mistake early-stage founders make?
Spending too much time on product features—and not enough understanding who actually buys. Anne emphasizes stakeholder-driven GTM.
What are the 5 risks investors assess in Seed–Series A?
Product risk, market risk, regulatory risk, funding risk, and team risk. Founders must de-risk each clearly.
How can a founder build defensibility without patents?
Anne suggests creative models like 5-year staggered leases, operational lock-in, and non-IP barriers that keep competition out.
What trait sets great founders apart?
A flexible mindset. Being able to act on 20% of the facts and adapt as you learn is what defines great leadership.
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