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Know Your Acquirers
- InSound Medical, the manufacturer of Lyric, the world’s first invisible hearing aid, was sold prematurely by its VCs before gaining maximum value from its innovative product, according to Joe Mandato, former leader of medtech companies and author in MedCity News.
- In a rush to earn a significant return on their investment, InSound’s VCs weren't aware of the strategic value and potential of Lyric; the 40% of the market dissatisfied with traditional hearing aids, says Mandato.
- InSound’s founders and early investors didn't have sufficient skin in the game to question the VC’s decision to sell; product performance issues, ineffective sales strategies, high costs, and insufficient capital investment, turned it from a promising start-up into a struggling company, says Mandato.
- InSound’s acquisition by Phonak, at a fraction of its eventual value, was due in part to the hearing aid industry's general lack of emphasis on marketing and product advancement, causing the two leading acquirers to see InSound as low-cost with interesting IP rather than disruptive technology with significant strategic value.
- InSound’s earnout, based on meeting ambitious revenue and growth goals, was scuppered when Phonak purchased a majority interest in the hearing aid chain that was anticipated to make the largest one-time product purchase.
- InSound and Phonak’s management teams had significant culture clash, which led to protracted and difficult discussions to resolve the earnout issue, says Mandato.
- In the end, InSound sacrificed its right to control its earnout and accepted an immediate cash payment from Phonak, which concluded with a 2.5x return for its investors on their initially invested capital.
- Mandato suggests that leadership teams should think carefully and early on about potential exit partners, understanding how their product fits into their culture for successful exits.
- Investors need to gain an understanding of entrepreneurs’ understanding of potential buyers to realise full benefits, Mandato explains.
- In spite of InSound's story being extreme, it highlights the importance of knowing your buyers, remembering the strategic value of products and the significance of establishing carefully selected and suitable acquirers.
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