My Last Blog Post

First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read what I’ve written on Investor Relations Musings over the past 7 years. Over that time period I’ve posted 162 articles on topics that have ranged from the tongue in cheek (essential life skills for the investor relations officer) to the academic (efficient market theory) to the personal (the importance of saying thank you). The blog has been accessed almost 60,000 times by approximately 40,000 different users from 153 different countries, so hopefully I’ve given a few people something to think about.

Now, however, to use a phrase common among startups, I find that my career has “pivoted”. Several months ago, as I was contemplating retirement, a friend of mine from business school called me up and asked if I would like to join him in starting up a medical device company. It sounded like fun, so at the ripe age of 64 I find myself an entrepreneur.

I’m quite excited about the new company we are forming, which will be called Arterium Medical. We’re going to use patented technology to monitor and measure blood flow using Doppler ultrasound. Unlike traditional ultrasound, we will provide doctors and nurses with quantitative data, not images. And also unlike traditional ultrasound, our device is contained in a thin film, which is applied using a bandage, eliminating the need for an ultrasound technician. It’s really a neat little gadget.

In the past, doctors have used blood pressure readings in their diagnoses, but in many instances, blood pressure is a proxy for blood flow. We plan to help them measure what they really care about, which is the blood flow that keeps organs and limbs alive. If we are successful, we think that we can give doctors and nurses a new monitoring tools to help improve the standard of medical care in several areas.

With all of the tasks that come with a startup, from the mundane - setting up offices - to the sublime – raising money – I will no longer have time to rigorously follow and write about investor relations, so I feel I must bring this blog to a close.

Thank you for being a reader.