Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash
Neuroscience has always been a focus area for Social Starts and Joyance Partners and should continue to be due to the large and clear unmet need. Stress, anxiety, mental illness, and their associated impacts are at all-time highs. People seem desperate for solutions.
Science points toward many potential new approaches. We also recognize that there could be successful products in this space based on pseudoscience or no science at all. Pure placebo effect or adept marketing can generate short-term market winners in brain and mood products. But our goal will be to winnow out those products quickly and not invest in them, even if we see how they can make money. We want to center on science here.
For H2 2020, Social Starts continues to focus on investing in devices and digital solutions related to neuroscience. In particular, we seek those solutions that could alter disease-generated or stress-induced mental conditions or bring delight and calm, even momentarily, to individual consumers. We want companies that have truly innovative underlying science, clear go-to-market strategies, and strong management in the following markets:
Neurodegenerative disease
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Mental health
Relaxation and mindfulness
Pain management
Brain-machine Interfaces
Neuro-Gut-Axis (microbiome, next-gen food)
We need to be disciplined and focused here and respond only to deep, transformative, long-term solutions.
By Managing Partner Mike Edelhart
@MikeEdelhart
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