Brent Lavin⁠, Director of Strategic Growth at BD,  joins the show to break down the art and science of medtech M&A. Discover the three key characteristics that determine whether a company builds new tech organically or acquires it and why most get it wrong. He shares real-world stories from acquisitions like Straub Medical and Close, including surprises that only show up after the deal is done. Plus: why startups must now plan for global regulatory hurdles from day one, how to use data for hyper-targeted commercial launches, and the leadership books that shaped his career. Essential listening for anyone in business development, product management, or startup leadership.

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Episode Breakdown

00:00 - Intro: Companies Who Nail Acquisitions & Strategy

01:20 - Meet  Brent Lavin: Director of Strategic Growth at BD

03:55 -  Brent Lavin’s Path from Engineering to MedTech

07:40 - How an ER Visit Sparked His MedTech Career

10:20 - GE Healthcare & Early Commercial Experience

12:15 - Moving to Bard/BD & 20 Years in Innovation

14:05 - Build vs. Buy: How Strategics Decide

17:10 - What  Brent Lavin Oversees at BD (Vascular & ESKD)

18:45 - How BD Evaluates Acquisition Targets

21:30 - Examples of Successful Acquisitions in MedTech

23:50 - Lessons from Integrating Acquired Technologies

26:18 - Surprises Found After Closing Deals

28:12 - Institutional Knowledge vs. AI Tools

29:25 - How Real Innovation Ideas Are Found

31:10 - Observing Procedures vs. What Physicians SAY They Need

33:12 - Post-Market Feedback & Iteration

34:55 - Companies  Brent Lavin Respects for Strategy (Intuitive, Edwards)

36:42 - Who Still Builds Good Innovation In-House?

38:25 - Why M&A Is Heating Back Up in MedTech

40:10 - Commercial Systems That Make a Startup “Acquirable”

42:05 - Regulatory Reality: MDR, Global Scale & Readiness

44:00 - Signals BD Watches to Spot Early Winners

45:18 - How Venclose Came Onto BD’s Radar (Case Study)

47:05 - Red Flags That Kill an Acquisition

48:00 - Brent Lavin’s Favorite Leadership Books & Daily Tech Stack

48:40 - Closing Thoughts & How to Connect with  Brent Lavin

Are you a medtech CEO in need of some marketing help attracting investors, growing sales pipeline, and more? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowMyMedtech.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to book time for a free analysis.

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