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Approach

Entrepreneurial Spirit, Midwest Grit

A disciplined healthcare venture capital strategy driven by an unrelenting work ethic to achieve success for our entrepreneurs and investors

approach to teamwork and investing
laboratory life scientists
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What do we look for?

  • Innovations that deliver meaningful improvements to patient outcomes and reduce health system costs
  • Groundbreaking opportunities in our sectors of focus: medical devices, life sciences tools & diagnostics, tech-enabled care delivery, and pharma adjacencies
  • Founders and CEOs with domain expertise who embrace capital efficiency and seek collaborative investment partners rather than passive financiers
  • Investments that span development and commercial stage but focus on Series A and B opportunities
  • Under-ventured opportunities, as it relates to geographies, teams, and sectors

What do we commit to you?

  • Active and involved healthcare investors who operate with integrity, approachability, and transparency
  • A team of passionate healthcare and venture capital experts diverse in demographic and experience
  • A track record of success and experience navigating the ups and downs of early-stage company building
  • Access to a world-class advisory board to leverage C-level experience, expertise, and leadership in healthcare
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A commitment to teamwork

Since our founding in 2002, Arboretum has become a leader in early healthcare investing by fostering a culture rooted in respect and integrity. We attribute our success to the fundamental values that drive our culture.

  • True to the mission

    Invest in great people with great ideas and a passion for improving healthcare quality, access, and affordability

  • People first

    Lead selflessly and act as supportive partners to our entire team and stakeholders

  • Honesty wins

    Act with integrity and make the hard decision when we know it is the right decision

  • Continuous improvement

    Strive to be at the forefront of healthcare industry trends through research, education, and partner-building

  • Community-focused

    Use our talent, time, and resources to give back to the healthcare ecosystem and local communities

The impact

Community requires teamwork, and at Arboretum, we believe the best teams are diverse in culture, gender, thought, and experience. At our firm and within our portfolio companies, our goals are to be healthcare investors who:

  • Build and foster a supportive and diverse corporate culture
  • Prioritize diversity among senior management and fellow board members
  • Assist our institutional investors in extending their internal diversity and inclusion initiatives
Portfolio Spotlight

Trailblazers can achieve the impossible when others only imagine it

With more than 20 successful years under our belt and a nationally recognized reputation, we’ve proven that achieving healthcare venture capital success right here in the Midwest is possible.

Explore our portfolio companies' success stories
Strata Oncology logo

Where it started?
Strata Oncology provides next-generation genomic sequencing for advanced cancer patients, with the mission to help clinicians match the “right therapy to the right patient” sooner through pharma trials. Arboretum co-led the Series A financing in 2015.

Where it is today?
In addition to its trial partnerships, Strata Oncology is now commercially available for use in clinical labs. This expansion of their business model allowed the team to successfully close a $90M Series C financing led by Wellington Management in 2021.

PEAR Therapeutics logo

Where it started?
Pear Therapeutics is a leading company in the emerging space of Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs) to treat behavioral health and other brain-related diseases. Arboretum co-led the Series A investment in 2016 and in 2020, the company became the first PDT to receive multiple approvals from the FDA for its treatment software.

Where it is today?
In December 2021, Pear Therapeutics completed a SPAC transaction that raised $175 million and currently trades under the symbol (NAS:PEAR).

Testimonials

Tim Petersen brings a wealth of healthcare expertise and relationships to our company and is a very effective member of our Board of Directors. He rolls up his sleeves to assist us when it’s truly needed and has the good sense to stay out of the way when it’s not.

Lou SilvermanCEO Hicuity Health

As our Chairman, Paul McCreadie’s integrity, character, and talent creates a solid foundation of trust, which is essential for effective strategic thinking and decision making. I know that whether things are going well, or if we are facing challenges, I can always count on his collaborative, shoulder to shoulder support and entrepreneurial insight.

Mark ForchetteCEO Delphinus Medical Technologies

Jan Garfinkle has been a valued partner since the early formation of Strata. Her reputation in the business and deep network helped us attract an experienced syndicate of investors and has opened doors to strategic partners vital for our success.

Dan RhodesCEO Strata Oncology

Arboretum Ventures understands the importance of collaboration and passion in building a great company. Their expertise in clinical and reimbursement strategy along with a broad industry network were invaluable in fostering our success.

Surbhi SarnaCEO nVision Medical

Tom Shehab and the supporting Arboretum team provided not only the capital we needed, but also strategic advice, access to an extensive network of potential partners, and unceasing encouragement. Their support has brought out the best in our team and allowed us to focus on our vision of making neuromodulation therapies accessible and easier to use for millions of patients worldwide.

Jill SchiaparelliCEO Avation Medical