State of Healthcare: Trends, Opportunities and the Public Markets

Margaret Kaczor – Partner, William Blair
Matt Larew – Analyst, William Blair

We are in the early stages of a transformation in the way healthcare is delivered in the United States: the transition from high-impact healthcare to high-touch, personalized healthcare. The home (and “near-home”) are emerging as the new hubs of high-touch healthcare, and the three P’s of healthcare (patients, payers, and providers) are all aligned behind this transition. Machine learning and sensor monitoring will play a key role in training personalized algorithms which should transform the standard of care and drive strategic and investment decisions. In sum, as healthcare becomes more about “health” and not just “care,” there is tremendous opportunity for disruption and new market entrants.

Panel Discussion: Future of Food

Bruce German, PhD – Professor & Chemist, UC Davis
Ed Rogers – Co-Founder & CEO, Bonumose
Michael Todd – CEO, Nutriati

The food and agriculture markets are reaching an inflection point, just like the personal computer did in the mid 1980s. We know that Americans do not eat well. We spend about $1.7T a year on food. It is carb/sugar heavy. If we are going to invest in food innovation, then we need to address the increased cost of sugar addiction and better foods needed to meet the future needs of the global population?

Role of Food in Health

Bruce German, PhD – Professor & Chemist, UC Davis

What if we could customize our diets to eliminate obesity, reduce disease and improve happiness? Or what if we could customize our diet to help learn how to play the violin or become a master at chess? The $500 billion to $1 trillion available to the food industry from chronic diseases now seems like chump change. What do you think people would really pay for personal optimization?

Possibility of Plants – Undiscovered Nutrition

Michael Todd – CEO, Nutriati

The plant-based protein revolution is well underway, as consumers are looking for food and beverage options that are clean label, more nutritious, and that meet a growing ethical awareness over the production of animal proteins. With this growing demand, food companies and emerging brands are seeking ways to supplement existing and new products with plant-based additives and proteins. However, this is not as simple as 1, 2, 3. Plant-based proteins can pose challenges from numerous angles: taste, solubility, texture, digestibility, etc. and so while demand for these products are increasing, this is ever more so true for plant-based proteins that are delicious and easy to work with. Nutriati is helping solve many of these challenges, developing plant-based protein flours and powders, initially starting with chickpeas, that are clean label, flavorless, soluble and versatile, helping power the future of plant-based foods.

Nexus of Food and Health: A Discussion with Bonumose CEO Ed Rogers

Ed Rogers – Co-Founder & CEO, Bonumose
Mark McCall – Managing Director, iSelect Fund

The CDC estimates that over 100 million US adults are either diabetic or pre-diabetic. Further, poor diet/nutrition is the #1 cause of mortality in the US. And we are all aware of the obesity epidemic in the US and around the globe. Ed Rogers and Mark McCall recently addressed this topic at a UN Family Office Impact Summit. Bonumose’s natural, nutritious and affordable sugars directly target this critical global issue and represent an ideal example of how food and health are becoming so intertwined.