Most MedTech founders think financing is about getting enough money to keep building. But once you take capital, it reshapes your governance, your priorities, and your pace — and some consequences don't surface for years.

In this episode of the AHF Podcast's From Idea to Market series, we explore what funding actually buys beyond time and resources, how capital decisions redistribute power within a startup, and which financing consequences only become visible years later. Founders, investors, and legal experts share hard-won lessons about navigating the Valley of Death — from choosing between equity and grants, to the real cost of starting as an LLC, to why royalty agreements shape cash flow long after the ink dries.

Whether you're a surgeon-innovator weighing your first funding round or an engineer planning a device company's financial architecture, this conversation lays out the structural, financial, and human realities of MedTech financing that most pitch decks never mention.

⏱️ Chapters:

00:00 The Valley of Death in MedTech startups

02:37 Meet the founders, investors, and experts

04:40 Startup runway and burn rate explained

06:04 How venture financing rounds work in MedTech

09:42 Grants vs equity and preserving ownership

11:08 How VC fund lifecycles pressure founders

13:06 Finding investors for hardware medical devices

18:16 LLC vs C corporation and hidden structural costs

22:09 Royalty streams and long-tail financial obligations

24:31 Approach financing like clinical design

Listen to the AHF Podcast on your preferred platform:

Buzzsprout: https://ahfpodcast.buzzsprout.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ahf-podcast/id1749521487

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CrGJyvRiQFTCU3FFFVvHc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ahf-podcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anteriorhipfoundation

Homepage: https://anteriorhipfoundation.com

This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

The content discussed does not constitute medical advice and should not be used as a substitute for professional judgment. Clinicians should rely on their own training, experience, and clinical decision-making when applying information from this discussion.

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From Idea to Market: Ep 5 - Financing the Journey