Time for a telecare/telehealth investment fund?

It seems lately that most weeks we (Telecare Aware editors) are approached by people seeking sources of funding for businesses with telecare and telehealth products and services. These are usually small startups that have one or more elements of a business but lack the skills and/or sufficient funding to get to where they need to take the next steps to get to market. Most are never going to make it but a few have the potential to be world beaters.

On the funding front, the owners will usually have invested a good deal of their own time and capital and, at the time of looking for help, may be reaching their limit. Their funding requirements at this stage are usually too small to interest venture capital companies but too large to obtain from a bank or family and friends. Approaching funding bodies for grants is too slow and haphazard a process - if they can find the matching funding that is often required, that is. Moreover, they do not want to approach established companies for help because they fear tactics designed to stall them or to steal the 'killer idea'.

We are therefore floating this idea with Telecare Aware readers: would you be interested in pooling resources to support some of these companies?

The aim would be to invest in a small number of companies believed to have to potential to establish themselves in their niches and to grow from there. Please indicate your interest by following the 'Read more...' link below and responding to a poll.

To be absolutely clear, the investment would be risky but, of course, returns are potentially high.

Finally, if you know a reliable, regulated company in the financial sector with fund management experience that could be approached to administer it if there is sufficient interest shown above, please email me. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it The company would not need to know about the telecare/telehealth sector as a small committee would be formed to advise on the investments and to identify sources of knowledge-support for the companies invested in.