Bringing medtech innovation to market requires more than a breakthrough technology. It takes the right capital, evidence, reimbursement strategy, and path to scale. In this episode of PwC’s Next in Health, Glenn Hunzinger and Brent Hill continue their conversation with Darshana Zaveri, co-founder and managing partner of Catalyst Health Ventures, and Geoff Pardo, general partner at Gilde Healthcare, exploring what it takes to turn promising medtech innovation into sustainable growth and patient impact. From funding and clinical evidence to M&A, product-market fit, and capital efficiency, the conversation examines how founders, investors, and strategic players are navigating an increasingly complex market.

Discussion highlights:

• The evolving funding environment for early-stage medtech companies and what investors are looking for today
• Why clinical, regulatory, and reimbursement strategies increasingly need to be considered together
• The forces driving medtech M&A, including portfolio optimization, new buyers, and the need for growth
• How companies and investors can build toward meaningful value inflection points and potential exits
• The importance of capital discipline, investor alignment, strong leadership teams, and product-market fit
• Where investors see the greatest opportunities for MedTech innovation over the next three to five years and beyond

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Darshana Zaveri, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Catalyst Health Ventures
Geoff Pardo, General Partner, Gilde Healthcare
Brent Hill, Managing Director, Medtech Strategy, PwC

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Medtech innovation is accelerating, creating new possibilities for how and where patients receive care. In this episode of PwC’s Next in Health, Glenn Hunzinger and Brent Hill are joined by Darshana Zaveri, co-founder and managing partner of Catalyst Health Ventures, and Geoff Pardo, general partner at Gilde Healthcare, for part one of a two-part conversation on the next wave of medtech innovation. From AI and connected care to less invasive technologies, robotics, and the shift beyond the hospital, the conversation explores the technologies and market trends reshaping medtech and where investors and innovators see the greatest opportunities ahead.

Discussion highlights:

• How medtech innovation is evolving toward less invasive, more scalable, and increasingly connected technologies
• AI’s growing role in devices, clinical decision-making, and connected care
• The shift from hospitals to ambulatory settings and the home and what it means for medtech companies
• Emerging opportunities across neuromodulation, robotics, biomaterials, drug-device combinations, and remote monitoring
• The balance between creating entirely new categories and building on established markets
• The growing importance of clinical evidence and data in driving adoption and improving patient care

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Darshana Zaveri, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Catalyst Health Ventures
Geoff Pardo, General Partner, Gilde Healthcare
Brent Hill, Managing Director, Medtech Strategy, PwC

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

Healthcare affordability continues to be one of the defining challenges facing the industry. In this episode of PwC's Next in Health, Glenn Hunzinger is joined by Thom Bales, Derek Skoog, and Philip Sclafani to discuss the findings from PwC's Behind the Numbers 2027 report and the forces driving medical cost trends toward 9% in 2027. From AI-enabled documentation and provider reimbursement to GLP-1 therapies, behavioral health, and payment integrity, the conversation explores what's contributing to rising costs—and where healthcare leaders can focus to improve affordability while continuing to advance innovation and patient care.

Discussion highlights:

• Medical cost trends approaching 9% and the forces driving healthcare inflation
• AI's growing influence on clinical documentation, payment integrity, and reimbursement
• Innovation's impact on affordability, from GLP-1 therapies to cell and gene therapies
• Strategies health plans, employers, and providers are using to improve affordability and reduce friction
• The evolving role of reimbursement, utilization management, and payment integrity in managing costs
• What rising medical costs mean for employers, consumers, and the future of healthcare

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Thom Bales, US Health Services Advisory Leader, PwC
Derek Skoog, Principal, Health Services, PwC
Philip Sclafani, Principal, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, PwC

For additional insights, check out our Behind the numbers 2027 report at https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/library/behind-the-numbers.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.