BioForum Fireside Chat with Robert Nelsen

BioForum Fireside Chat with Robert Nelsen

The lunchtime plenary session at the Bio Investor Forum in San Francisco featured a fireside chat with BioTech investor Robert Nelsen. Nelsen described himself as a self-motivated investor who started his investment in projects at age 11. His key strategy today and main personal belief on investing is that science and technology matters, and that basic research is key. His premised was explained in his love the Scientific American which has a section showing the understanding and ideas in science 10, 20 and 50 years ago. The results shown in this section, are that what science understood at a given time was wrong based on the current understanding and science. This is an on-going challenge, as the improvements in science research and the interpretation of the results are constantly returning new explanations for basic science, and delivering new opportunities for business.

Using this information, Nelsen believes that companies should try new things and in new ways to learn the best ways to make something right, based on the latest information available. This mentality allows Robert to invest and focus big hard problems that multiple angles and aspects to address the problem. This gives multiple opportunities to find valid solutions over traditional methods. An area of the biggest interest is psychological drugs which address the varied space of Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

Right now, the cost of treatment and medication is 80% of the cost of a reactive care treatment plan. The cost increased as hospitalization and invasive methods are tried. He believes that many of these cases can be treated with drugs rather than invasive physical care. This would bring the treatment to an out-patient methodology, and dramatically impact the $3T in physical care billing annually.

From an investment and business strategy, the IP piece is secondary to getting the right scientists on the best practice for the program. The place for these pieces is cures require first line defensive IP, secondarily in the marketplace offensive position IP. This idea yields a belief that in the bay area, with the right strategy and the right team (good science and good people) can do anything and can beat big pharma to market and with innovative products.

Fashion case for Apple Watch

Fashion case for Apple Watch

September 2015 – At the CTIA Super Mobility event in Las Vegas we met with the representatives of Lunatik and had a chance to see their new products for support of the Apple iWatch.  The company has been around for several years making innovative protection products for the mobile marketplace all with a high degree of style and precision manufacturing. The Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Scott Wilson, is an American entrepreneur and award-winning designer, best known for simultaneously sparking the crowdfunding and wearables movements with his 2010 TikTok+Lunatik Kickstarter project.

The premier product they were showing us this year as the new Epik case and band for the current 42mm Apple watch.  The Epik watch kit products are available in two different basic materials, a polycarbonate case and an aircraft grade aluminum versions.  The aluminum version, which we tested, is available in both a base “silver” aluminum color and a black coated aluminum version.  We tested the black version with the black leather band, the watch kit is also available with a metal link bracelet.

As the watch kit is designed for the fairly large 42mm Apple watch, the kit is fairly heavy (36g) and adds additional dimension to the watch.  The black powder coated design with the black leather band is targeted at the male user community and makes a strong visual statement.  It is also targeting use by physically larger individuals (over 5’8”) who have a large frame and wrist size to allow the 2.17” case to sit flat on their arm. DSC_0935

To supplement the aluminum case, the kit features stainless steel buttons, control/scrolling crown, and assembly screws for strength and durability.  The watch kit does not include a top cover for the watch to minimize bulk, but is compatible with the majority of edge-to-edge screen protection products that are approved for the iWatch.

The retail box comes with an installation guide in the box that has both illustrations and words.  It however, does not include directions on how to remove the watch module from the original band provided by Apple, but that step should be self-explanatory.

The watch kit has a number of subtle design elements, beveled edges, smooth corners, rolled lips on the top of the case and smooth easy to make adjustments and action on the strap and the connection to the case.  The design is not just functional but enhances the artistic design to a standard format digital watch.  The watch kit is currently available direct from Lunatik and other retail outlets.

Realsense focus on consumer market

Realsense focus on consumer market

August 2015 – One of the major announcements at this year’s IDF was the availability and applications of the Realsense stereo 3D camera system in modules, tablets, and laptops.  The technology was featured in a large section of the conference area and the display areas.

Targeting consumer applications, they were showing off the speed and accuracy of the technology with a couple of different exhibits.  One was a 3D printing demonstration.  It featured taking a 360 degree Stereo 3D photo of a person’s head, and then in real time transferring it to a 3D laser printer.  The printer carved the image into a block of Lucite and producing an embedded 3D likeness of the person.  The demonstration was so popular that they had to go to rotating time and call back system to get the images taken and printed.  While the image capture is fast, under a couple of minutes, the laser printer averages about 20-25min per print which is what caused the queue for the demo.

One of the other heavily attended demo was a mirror with the integrated RealSense camera.  The camera would take a 3D image of the person in front of the mirror.  The mirror is actually a half mirrored display that can then superimpose jewelry on the person in the mirror.  The system allows for the selection of earrings and necklaces on the people in the mirror.  This system was very quick on setup – under 1 minute and very responsive to movement.  The system is a prototype and had some challenges if there was more than 1 person in the view of the camera, but on the whole it worked well.

There were a number of other RealSense applications targeted at consumers being shown highlighting the measurement capabilities, depth & relative location capabilities, and virtual showroom/furniture capabilities.  These have been shown in prior shows, and second generation software was the main display for these technology applications.