PM360 introduces you to the people who invest in and help startups succeed, in this case Fabio Gratton.
Affliations: Chief Alchemist, Alchemy Factory
Partner Portfolio: inVibe Labs, SONIC Health, DrinkBryte, CureClick, Carma Project, Bitmo, Thread Research, EmbryoLogic, iReward Health
Investment Strategy: Alchemy Factory is a digital health incubator 100% owned and controlled by Fabio, which he founded in 2013. It’s primarily focused on three areas: Active incubation, strategic mentorship, and venture philanthropy. The portfolio is comprised of a variety of entities in which Alchemy and/or Fabio has either an equity stake in the company (majority or minority), or functions in a mentorship/advisor role (formal or informal), or both.
What He Looks for in Startups: Alchemy’s focus is on hatching products and services focused on digital health, wellness, and safety. Most of these ventures are developing products that help the industry accelerate innovation, such as novel approaches to healthcare marketing services (SONIC Health) or social media activation solutions for clinical trials (CureClick). “In each case, I look for opportunities where I can take an active role in helping shape the company’s product vision—managing the day-to-day operations alongside a seasoned industry veteran with domain expertise as a co-founding partner.”
Finding Startups to Invest In: “I’m always looking for new ideas—and while I don’t mind the cold calls, the majority of the pitches I hear come from people I know or that I’ve worked with before. There’s no such thing as a sure thing, but if you already know the thinking and work ethic a founder will bring to the table, then you’ve already minimized the risk significantly.”
Venture Philanthropy: Alchemy also recently established a small, single-sourced fund focused on the non-profit space called “Alchemy Angels.” Its first partnership is with a seasoned entrepreneur who is developing a free telehealth service to help stroke patients rehabilitate. “It’s more philanthropy than investing, as it’s designed to yield a human value return, not a financial one.”
