Device/Diagnostics Quarterly Dealmaking Statistics, Q1 2019

A look at the financing, M&A and alliance activity in January–March 2019

Device financing totaled $1.6bn for the first quarter of 2019. Late-stage venture rounds were the most active category, led by Nuvaira's $79m Series E financing. Merger and acquisition activity reached $7.3bn; in the largest transaction of the quarter, Ethicon acquired Auris Health for up to $6bn. Diagnostics/research financing reached $1.7bn, and ten diagnostics/research tools companies were acquired, five of which together were valued at $22.6bn.

Failing to make any significant rebound, device financing – which totaled $1.6bn for the first quarter of 2019 – increased only 7% from Q4 2018's $1.5bn aggregate, which was the lowest quarter of last year. The group bringing in the most during Q1 was again (as in Q4 2018) late-stage venture rounds, which accounted for 36% of the total at $566m. Just behind late-stage venture rounds were debt financings, which reached $515m, or 33% of the quarter's dollars. (See Exhibit 1.)

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