Play It Again

Originally Published MX September/October 2002

COVER STORY

Serial entrepreneur James E. Nicholson, founder and chairman of Cortek Inc., offers lessons for up-and-coming medtech companies.

Interview by Steve Halasey

The medical device industry thrives on innovation, but when it comes to business decisions, innovators can learn a lot by listening to those who have gone before.

One such seasoned entrepreneur is James E. Nicholson, whose industry credits since 1969 include inventing a number of world-standard medical products and founding several medical device companies. He guided two of his companies—Mitek Surgical and Innovasive Devices—through successful initial public offerings (IPOs). Both firms were later acquired by Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon division—Mitek in 1994 for $128 million, and Innovasive Devices in 1999 for $85 million.

"I end up speaking at a lot of conferences because I've been through the process a number of times," says Nicholson. His presentations focus on strategies for building small companies and making them successful—with emphasis on