Episode description

Ian Manners was a successful consultant for pharmaceutical companies in the US when he discovered a major problem that needed a software solution. Big pharma companies provide financial assistance funding for patients who require their drugs but struggle with high costs, but these funds are difficult to access and manage for patients and healthcare providers. 

Ian and his cofounder created Vivor in 2014 to connect this financial assistance funding to patients through healthcare providers like hospitals, medical offices, and healthcare networks. The bootstrapped software startup grew slowly at first but eventually became profitable as it scaled up. Since inception, Vivor has helped over 100,000 patients receive over $2 billion in financial assistance to offset the high costs of prescriptions. 

During the COVID crisis that hit the US healthcare industry, Ian decided to merge Vivor with TailorMed, a VC-funded competitor, in a cash and stock deal. He stayed on for two years during the transition and is now looking for his next entrepreneurial adventure in healthcare software. 

“The overall idea of merging our companies and having stock and some cash in our acquisition structure made sense for both parties. If the company that’s acquiring your company is huge and they’ve got big cash reserves, they buy someone out. But if you’re combining with another startup, that cash is precious. They don’t want to spend all of it. 

“So it really makes sense to do a combination of the two and to include equity in the deal. I think that part was absolutely a win-win, even when, as you’re going through that process, you negotiate all the details.

“It’s a huge bet for us to take equity as part of our deal, We became an investor in the company that bought us.. I think for anyone facing something similar, my advice would be to just slow down that part of it and really think about and digest the fact that you’re becoming an investor in the combined company. “

• Ian Manners on LinkedIn
• Vivor website
• TailorMed on LinkedIn
• TailorMed website

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