History

The genesis of Scientific Health Development (SHD) reaches back over 30 years. Philip Romano, a renowned restaurateur, was compelled to invest in a young, unproven radiology student with a big idea. Romano was the only outside investor in what became the Palmaz® stent, the world’s first coronary stent that created the multi-billion dollar stent market.

Romano teamed up with Dallas businessman Stuart Fitts and, after years of successful angel investing, they formed a dedicated healthcare-focused investment firm in 2006 to continue their effective strategy via a dedicated and professional investment entity. This is the birth story of SHD. Subsequently, Andrew Offer was recruited in 2007 to supplement the firm’s financial acumen and research capabilities. Pulling from his background in healthcare valuation and reimbursement analysis, the firm has successfully invested multiple fund portfolios and has become a top early-stage medtech venture capital firm.

The Firm

Over the past 15 years, as SHD has grown its team and refined its investment thesis, we continue to stay true to our core and serve a specific niche. We focus on early-stage innovative medical technologies that require smaller amounts of funding and have attainable, near-term value inflection points that could lead to an exit. We maintain very productive relationships with our portfolio companies, providing a number of skills, disciplines and experience that are needed by a young, capital efficient company. We provide a differentiated investment opportunity to our limited partners, offering medical device focused exposure to early-stage private companies that is shielded from the short term volatility of public markets and makes use of significant Qualified Small Business tax advantages.