Astron Medtech COO: NYC VCs Favor Late-Stage Startups, KOL Partnerships Key for Market Entry

New York is home to some of the world’s leading medical research institutions, healthcare device manufacturers, and service providers, presents both tremendous opportunities and challenges for global healthtech companies eager to break into the market.

That’s why, for the fourth year running, we’ve continued to promote the IP2 Scale Out Program, designed to help ambitious and capable Taiwanese startups prepare for their entry into the New York market.

In this interview, Ilin Tsai, COO of Astron Medtech, shares his key takeaways from the program, the strategic goals his company is pursuing, and the challenges they’ve faced along the way.

Ilin Tsai, COO of Astron Medtech

With rapid advancements in minimally invasive surgery and sports medicine, Astron Medtech has developed innovative surgical instruments that align with the latest orthopedic technologies in the U.S.

Their products offer more efficient, lower-risk treatment options, making them highly promising for promotion in the local market.

Tsai notes that New York VCs tend to favor late-stage startups, presenting one of their key challenges. However, by engaging with local Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in the medical field, they can better understand market needs and refine their go-to-market strategy.

This approach not only helps position their company effectively in the NYC market but also offers strong support for future growth.

NYC VC Investment Preferences: Late-Stage Startups Take the Spotlight

Tsai shared his insights into New York’s venture capital landscape, pointing out that VCs in the city tend to have stricter requirements for startups, particularly in the healthcare sector.

They prefer investing in companies that have already reached a certain level of market recognition and are in the late stages of development.

"These companies have already gone through the initial stages of tech development and can clearly demonstrate market demand," he explains.

For startups aiming to enter the NYC market, this means it’s not enough to have an innovative product. They also need to present a stable business model and early market traction. The competitive environment pushes companies to accelerate commercialization efforts alongside product development, ensuring they can showcase real market potential to investors.

Building Connections with Local Medical KOLs to Drive Market Entry

Tsai also shared his strategic approach for entering the NYC market, emphasizing that partnering with local medical leaders (KOLs) is a key part of their plan.

"Our goal is to connect with top orthopedic surgeons and renowned medical experts in New York. We aim to bring them on board as advisors, which will help us advance clinical collaborations for our products and identify potential investors through these networks."

This strategy not only provides professional feedback to enhance their products but also boosts their market credibility and brand awareness. Collaborating closely with medical professionals also helps Astron Medtech gain deeper insights into local market needs and trends.

Tsai further mentioned that they’ve established connections with distributors in Boston, laying the groundwork for broader U.S. market expansion:

"We’re focused on clinical readiness and product commercialization, which will help us better align with investors in the future."