For an entrepreneur, figuring out how to get things done today with very little available capital is the key to successfully keeping his/her latest idea percolating. In the past, venture firms were eager to support early stage concepts because they could take a substantial stake, help control the decisions and directions taken by the company, … Continue reading “Join The Group!”
Author: Clif Alferness
Clif Alferness is the co-founder of six medical device companies that have collectively raised more than $300 million. Alferness is a director of Spiration and Calibra Medical. He is the inventor of the Acorn Cardiac Support device and founded Acorn Cardiovascular, Inc. Mr. Alferness also was a co-founder of InControl, Inc., which developed and patented technology for atrial defibrillation. Mr. Alferness has 35 years of research and development experience in the medical device industry, including management positions at InControl, Inc., Physio-Control Corporation, and Medtronic. He is the author of numerous scientific papers and holds more than 70 issued U.S. patents for medical devices. He is also a co-founder of Cardiac Dimensions Inc., Archus Orthopedics Inc., and EndoGastric Solutions, Inc.
Go Back to the Basics, Take Care of Your Customers
There’s no getting around it, these are tough times for entrepreneurs. We all are strapped for cash, both in our households and in our business enterprises. What keeps coming back to me is a philosophy one of my old mentors, the late W. Hunter Simpson used to say: “Take care of your customers, and the … Continue reading “Go Back to the Basics, Take Care of Your Customers”
What Now, Medical Device Entrepreneurs?
Years ago, new medical device companies were often formed by a small group of people who came up with an idea for a new concept and started the company by working on it nights and weekends in someone’s garage. Often, this new company had little or no real financial backing other than the money that … Continue reading “What Now, Medical Device Entrepreneurs?”