The INVEST Digital Health conference, scheduled for September 28 in Dallas, will offer opportunities for healthcare startups to meet with traditional and strategic investors in an intimate setting to gain insights on investment strategies and criteria investors look for in digital health startups. 

The forums are designed to complement a conference agenda that spotlights employee health benefits and digital health trends. It is limited to four startup founders/CEOs per one investor.

In a series of breakfast forums at the conference, startups can pay $99 extra to attend these informative, interactive discussions and gain insight on firms’ investment strategy.  Here’s a look at the investors who will be taking part.

Parth Desai, Principal, Flare Capital Partners supports Flare Capital’s investments in Aetion, BeMe Health, Beaming Health, Birch AI, HealthVerity and Suki AI. He previously supported Bright Health (IPO) and Healthreveal (acquired by Accolade). He is also on the Board of Advisors at Boston University School of Public Health. Prior to joining Flare Capital, he was an investor at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) Ventures, where he focused on applications of artificial intelligence to healthcare operations, leading investments into Saykara (acquired by Nuance), Syllable AI and Workfusion.

Jane Rho, Investor, Venture Fund, DaVita Venture Group leads venture investments in healthcare technology, diagnostics, and technology-enabled services companies. Prior to joining the DaVita Venture Group, she worked with and consulted for several early-stage health tech startups. Before that, she was a management consultant at Bain & Company’s New York office.

Branden Fini, Principal, Providence Ventures

Providence Ventures is a Seattle- and Menlo Park-based digital health-focused venture capital firm that invests in companies attacking the top pain points in the healthcare ecosystem. The firm leverages its deep enterprise health system network to jumpstart adoption for platforms serving providers, payers, and self-insured employers, among others. Since joining PV, Branden has made investments in OrthAlign, MacroHealth, Arrive Health (fka RxRevu), and Kno2. He currently sits on the boards of MacroHealth, Arrive, Omada, and Kno2 as an observer.

Ryan Collins, Principal, Noro-Moseley Partners has more than eight years of experience in healthcare information technology, healthcare services, investment banking and private investing. Noro-Moseley Partners is an early growth equity firm based in Atlanta. Ryan works with their healthcare portfolio companies such as Upward Health, Medix Infusion, Findhelp, and Cariloop.

Rachel Kern, Vice President, FirstTrust Capital has over 10 years of experience in healthcare information technology, healthcare services, investment banking and private investing. She has served in her role at FTCP, which is headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois, since November 2016. She has led investments in a broad range of healthcare technology and services companies including Predict Health, Vynca, Third Eye Health, and Script Health.

Dennis Depenbusch – Director, Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas is responsible for the direction, coordination, evaluation, and management in developing and leading strategic investment. The focus of the initiative is to develop a portfolio of investments that improves the Kansas (and national) healthcare market, enhance the core business of the company and generate revenue. Prior to BCBS Kansas, he served as CEO and president of Ulterius Technologies in Wichita. Previously, he was in leadership and board roles for various technology and health-related start-ups in the USA and Europe.