Lessons Learned From Selling 3 Medtech Companies: Interview with ThermoTek Chairman Robert Kline

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we’re sitting down with Robert Kline, the Chairman of ThermoTek.Robert left big pharma to start Medivance in 1998, which he later sold for $260 million in 2011. His next venture, ViroCyt, a spin-off from the University of Colorado, sold in 2016 for $16 million. Robert then joined startup Bolder Surgical in 2017, pivoted it, and sold the company in 2021 for $160 million. He’s now Chairman of ThermoTek.In this episode of Medsider, Robert shares the lessons he learned from leading three medtech companies through successful acquisitions: never underestimate the importance and difficulty of fundraising, don’t assume everyone has the problem you want to solve, and don’t build your company around an exit. Before we jump into the conversation, I wanted to mention a few things:If you’re into learning from proven medtech and healthtech leaders, and want to know when new content and interviews go live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter. You’ll get access to gated articles, and lots of other interesting healthcare content.Second, if you want even more inside info from proven experts, think about a Medsider premium membership. We talk to experienced healthcare leaders about the nuts and bolts of running a business and bringing products to market. This is your place for valuable knowledge on specific topics like seed funding, prototyping, insurance reimbursement, and positioning a medtech startup for an exit.In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, Premium members get exclusive Ask Me Anything interviews and masterclasses with some of the world’s most successful medtech founders and executives. Since making the premium memberships available, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many people have signed up. If you’re interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.Lastly, here's the link to the full interview with Robert if you'd rather read it instead.