Academic medical centers and universities produce groundbreaking research every day. An autism researcher who builds an AI game to clinically improve behavioral problems. A basic scientist who discovers how the environment of tumors impacts treatment. An electrical engineer who nano-sized a method for magnets to image the body. An MBA who teamed up with two MDs to create a novel approach to solving complex pediatric cardiac cases. And all are at risk of remaining stuck in the ivory tower.

Venture capital is great at finding founders who tell a compelling story with confidence, but the best founders may not innately exhibit those traits. This is particularly true in healthcare, where physicians, researchers, PhDs, and faculty members often have the deep technical understanding and firsthand experience needed to build the next great company.

These scientists and clinicians are knee-deep in the problems they’re trying to solve. They’ve seen where existing approaches fall short, often for years, and have developed ideas for how to do things differently. But getting those ideas into the market requires a different set of skills. They need to learn how to test the market hypothesis, not just the scientific hypothesis.

Today, there are researchers and scientists developing promising healthcare innovations who aren’t thinking about building a company. And if they are, many show up to pitch venture capitalists with presentations better suited for an academic keynote or scientific meeting. Slides dense in technical detail, with little market analysis or validation, and without much of a story. It’s not surprising that many VCs pass.

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