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Why So Many Good Startups Get Ignored

And What Smart Investors Are Doing About It

Every year, investors collectively spend millions of hours vetting startups—only to discover, often too late, that they backed something with hype, not health. Meanwhile, companies with real traction, clear market fit, and mission-aligned founders can’t get their foot in the door.

At PulsePoint Path, we don’t believe it’s a pipeline problem.
We believe it’s a translation problem.

Founders don’t know how to communicate the full value of what they’ve built.
Investors don’t have the time (or tools) to see past the noise.
And decision-makers inside health systems and payer orgs are drowning in unqualified pitches.

Our job is to fix that.

This blog breaks down what we uncovered in a single coaching session—and why it matters far beyond that one founder. Because what most startups need isn’t another accelerator or pitch bootcamp. What they need is a bridge—one that connects visionary innovation with people who are ready to fund and scale it.

Listen anywhere you get your podcastin' on.

Live Interview

The Founders Aren’t Failing. The System Is Fragmented.

Let’s start with the truth: 2 out of 10 healthtech startups survive their first year, and fewer than 4% ever reach significant scale.

Yet every week, we meet founders with:

  • Regulatory momentum 
  • Reimbursement pathways scoped 
  • Functional MVPs 
  • Real users, paying or participating 

And still, they get overlooked.

Why? Because the ecosystem is full of communication gaps and misaligned expectations:

  • Founders speak in product features. 
  • Investors think in thesis alignment and GTM traction. 
  • Health system execs care about implementation burden and legacy workflows. 

It’s no wonder deals get missed—or take 18+ months to close.

From Pitch-Ready to Fundable: What We Saw in 20 Minutes

During a recent Pitch Perfect Workshop, we worked with a founder building a medication adherence tool for caregivers.
What started as a standard pitch quickly became a masterclass in misalignment—and transformation.

He had the right market, a compelling backstory, early pilot opportunities, and even revenue from past ventures.

But none of that was clear in the first draft of his pitch.

Here’s what we had to surface:

  • Who’s the buyer, not just the user?
    Caregivers—not patients—were the target. But the pitch was written for end-user empathy, not buyer urgency. 
  • What problem are you solving for investors?
    The story was compelling, but there was no anchor in market size, ROI, or exit pathways. 
  • What makes this different from every other ‘smart’ pill dispenser?
    His product had a clear differentiator—but buried on slide 7. It should’ve been the headline. 
  • Why you?
    This founder had scaled other businesses before. But that traction was an afterthought, not a credibility statement. 

This founder walked away with more than a cleaner deck.
He walked away with a strategic positioning framework that aligned his mission with the mindsets of investors, partners, and payers.

And this is exactly why we built PulsePoint Path.

The Real Problem We Solve: Deal Alignment

Whether you’re an investor, innovation lead inside a health system, or part of an accelerator scouting for pipeline—you don’t need more pitches.

You need:

  • Pitches that match your investment thesis 
  • Founders who are coachable and have early traction 
  • Clear indicators of scalability and operational readiness 
  • A way to screen out noise without missing the next breakout company 

PulsePoint Path exists to reduce friction, increase visibility, and fast-track decision-making between both sides of the table.

Our unique 3-layered funnel includes:

✅ 1. Pitch Perfect Workshop (Top of Funnel)

This is where we screen early but promising companies. It’s a free audit where we test:

  • Buyer alignment 
  • Market fit 
  • Founder credibility 
  • Business model clarity 

Most founders don’t pass this with flying colors. That’s the point.
We’re looking for those who can rise to the challenge—and want the feedback that gets them there.

If a founder is serious, we offer further strategy refinement, advisory support, and referral into our community.

🎤 2. HealthTech Showdown (Mid-Funnel Matchmaking)

This is where we bring the best matches to you.

  • Game show–style, virtual pitch competition 
  • Investor judges + decision-makers from payer/org sides 
  • Audience includes advisors, enterprise buyers, and press 
  • Only curated, aligned companies with real traction are featured 

As an investor, you’re not just watching—you’re part of it.
✔️ You get first-look access
✔️ You help steer funding and exposure
✔️ You build pipeline without sifting through 100 inbound decks

Winners get media exposure, expert coaching, and even press distribution.
Investors get deal access without the chaos.

🎙️ 3. HealthTech Growth Podcast (Deep Dive Storytelling)

After the Showdown, we feature the most promising companies on our podcast—where you can co-host or guest as a thought leader.

These stories go beyond the pitch. They show:

  • How the company evolved post-pilot 
  • What leadership looks like under stress 
  • Where the next round of funding will take them 
  • And how PulsePoint Path continues supporting them 

If you’re an investor who wants to build signal, not just noise—this is the platform to do it.

What Investors Say They Want—And What We Deliver

We’ve spent years studying investor psychology and decision pathways. Across hundreds of feedback loops, here’s what we know serious investors actually look for in healthtech startups:

What They Say What They Mean
“I want founder grit.” Can they adapt after failure? Have they built anything before?
“We back big markets.” Can they prove buyer demand, not just user need?
“I’m looking for something defensible.” Do they have a wedge—clinical, behavioral, or operational—that competitors don’t?
“They need a GTM plan.” Is there traction, pricing clarity, and a defined next phase?
“I want to move fast.” Are you giving me aligned, filtered dealflow with context?

 

 

 

 

 

PulsePoint Path is the connector.
We screen for these signals and only elevate startups that meet them—or are willing to get there with support.

Why This Matters Right Now

Healthcare funding is tightening.
Decision-makers are harder to reach.
The bar for clinical, operational, and financial rigor is higher than ever.

This environment rewards precision, partnership, and performance. And that’s what we optimize for.

If you’re an investor trying to:

  • Find the right companies faster 
  • Avoid being bombarded by unqualified decks 
  • Increase visibility with healthtech innovators 
  • Be featured as a judge, co-host, or podcast guest 

Then you’re the kind of partner we built this ecosystem for.

Here’s How to Get Involved

🔍 Want dealflow that’s been pre-screened for market fit, buyer clarity, and scale potential?
Apply to be a Judge at HealthTech Showdown

🎙️ Want to be featured on our podcast and co-host stories of strategic growth?
Nominate yourself or your firm for HealthTech Growth

📬 Want to be notified when the next Showdown is scheduled or access our strategic deal reports?
→ Join the Investor Circle

Final Thoughts: It’s Not About “More Startups.” It’s About Smarter Matches.

Innovation in healthcare isn’t suffering from a lack of ideas.
It’s suffering from a lack of alignment.

At PulsePoint Path, we don’t just coach founders to pitch better.
We help them become the kind of founders investors want to back—and then we bring them to the table with decision-makers ready to take action.

Because when the right investor meets the right company at the right time—everyone wins.

We’d love to feature you on that stage.

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Be a guest on our show

The Provider's Edge show is always looking to feature healthcare change-makers and celebrate the work they are doing to improve healthcare.

Together, we can encourage other healthcare entrepreneurs and startup founders to up-level their businesses.
If you or someone you know could be a good fit as a guest on the show, please click on the bottom below to apply as a speaker.

Healthcare Entrepreneurs!

I can help you gain visibility and credibility in the right circles so you can accelerate your mission and profitability!

After overcoming burnout working in surgery, I went back to my roots in neuroscience and public health. I learned the importance of building key human relationships with my team throughout our organization.

While helping healthcare executives and entrepreneurs to get out of the day-to-day operation of their practice, I realized I needed more visibility and more connections to reach my ideal clients.

Once I set out to be highly visible in the right circles, I was able to leverage my network of strategic partners to convert clients 5x higher than any other marketing channel I had tried previously.

Now I help healthcare change-makers to accelerate their impact and increase profitability by gaining visibility and credibility with the right strategic partners.

My clients no longer worry about where their next client is coming from, the need to plan additional budget for ads spending, or losing the ability to connect with others because their social media account is shut down.

If you want to share your social mission with the world and gain pivotal supporters that become loyal clients... then you are in the right place, with the right consultant who is also a recovered clinician.