Generally I think it’s a good decision for Stonebridge Capital to invest in the Ybrain. My investment analysis mainly involves five parts: Market, Team, Product, Business Model, and Exit Options.
First of all, I will look at the industry dynamics and market potential. Ybrain is a combined product of the medical device industry and the wearable tech industry, both of which are the emerging growth areas. Compared to the wearable products for general healthcare management, Ybrain chooses Alzheimer to focus on. According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, it is estimated that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease, and the incidence of the disease is rising in line with the aging population. Thus, in terms of market size, Ybrain is targeting a market with considerable potential. Besides, as Alzheimer is serious enough to interfere with daily life, there is strong enough motivation for the consumer to really want to use Ybrain’s products, which are very important to the customer conversion.
Secondly, I will lay much emphasis on the entrepreneurs. Based on the material, the founder, Kyongsik Yun, has a strong neuroscience background and excellent education experience, which makes good credential for the startup team. It’s very important that the founder knows extremely well in the working area and shows extraordinary passion and commitment to the tough tasks. I believe that a wonderful leader, who knows how to leverage external resources from Samsung Medical Center, has the ability to build up a first class team.
Thirdly, I will look at the product itself. Ybrain is the only company carrying out clinical trials, which means that it is definitely the first mover in this sector. Although there are direct and indirect competitors, Ybrain has built up its barriers to entry and will enjoy the first-mover advantage, especially it will take 10 years for Pfizer to release the oral