How MedTech Could Transform the Southern Highlands Economy
For generations, the Southern Highlands has been known for its rolling vineyards, pastoral farmland, and a thriving tourism industry that attracts thousands looking for a picturesque escape from city life. Beyond the rolling vineyards and picture-perfect countryside, a new industry is taking shape. One with the potential to transform the region’s economic future.
At the heart of this transformation is SoHi Partners, a MedTech investment firm betting on the future of healthcare innovation. First with its MedTech Innovation Fund and now a $5 million bid for NSW Regional Trust Grant funding to establish SoHi Labs, the firm is positioning the Southern Highlands as a center for cutting-edge medical technology, research, and investment. If successful, it could mean high-paying jobs, increased infrastructure, and an economic shift away from the region’s reliance on agriculture and tourism.
For local investors, the message is clear: invest now, or risk missing out on a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
We sat down with Andrew Speers, the Managing Partner at SoHi Partners, to get the scoop on their exciting and ambitious plans.
What makes the Southern Highlands primed for a MedTech boom?
There’s a misconception that innovation only happens in the big cities. But the Southern Highlands has the infrastructure, talent, and now the funding to compete on a global stage. Just like Silicon Valley drove a property boom through its tech hub, we believe the Highlands can do the same with MedTech.
Image by local photographer, Neil Fenelon
How big is the MedTech opportunity?
The global MedTech industry is on track to reach $800 billion by 2030, outpacing many traditional investment sectors. Aging populations, rising healthcare costs, and breakthroughs in AI diagnostics, robotics, and regenerative medicine are fueling massive growth. The Southern Highlands is perfectly positioned to be part of that wave.
What kind of MedTech companies are you already supporting through the SoHi MedTech Innovation Fund?
We’ve already placed early bets on game-changing companies, like Cartago, which is developing non-invasive solutions for chronic back pain, and Bone Ligament Technologies, a biotech firm using kangaroo collagen to revolutionise tendon transplantation. These aren’t just pie-in-the-sky ideas – they’re real businesses with tangible revenue models and high exit potential.
How would this transformation impact the Highlands’ economy long-term?
The Southern Highlands has long been defined by traditional industries such as agriculture, boutique hospitality, and real estate. These sectors, while crucial, face an uncertain future. Extreme weather events, rising operational costs, and shifting consumer trends have left local businesses increasingly vulnerable.
At the same time, the Highlands has been experiencing another economic challenge – the loss of young talent. Many highly educated professionals and skilled workers leave for Sydney, Melbourne, or overseas, seeking careers in technology, science, and engineering, fields the region has historically struggled to support.
SoHi Partners believes that MedTech is the solution. A way to retain talent, create stable, high-value jobs, and attract world-class innovation to the region. The company’s proposed SoHi Labs would serve as a research and development hub, drawing biomedical startups and healthcare companies to set up shop in the Highlands.
It’s a simple equation – give people opportunities to work on groundbreaking medical technology here, and they won’t need to leave. Investors who support this shift won’t just be making good money, they’ll be shaping the future of their home and creating jobs for generations to come.
Image by local photographer, Neil Fenelon
For local investors, what are the key opportunities in this MedTech shift?
There are two main advantages for Highlands investors. First, you get exposure to a high-growth market – MedTech investments have historically delivered strong venture capital returns. And second, by backing local innovation, you’re ensuring long-term economic sustainability for the region, boosting property values, small businesses, and job creation.
Our SoHi MedTech Innovation Fund is already tracking a cracking 36% IRR, making it one of the top performers in its class. Investors can get involved through direct funding of startups, co-investment opportunities with big institutions, and participation in government-backed innovation initiatives.
With the NSW Regional Trust Grant bid in motion, the Southern Highlands has a rare chance to redefine its economic future. Positioning itself as a MedTech powerhouse, much like Silicon Valley did for tech.
For investors and innovators ready to be part of something transformative, the opportunity is here. Learn more at sohipartners.com or reach out here.
The future of the Highlands is taking shape, and it’s being built on cutting-edge medical technology. Very exciting stuff!
***
This article features friends and advertisers of The Fold Media.
We strongly believe in the businesses and information we share with you on The Fold and we fully endorse the content we create and share.
We’re excited to share the amazing stories and adventures of our local businesses, and it is our sincere hope is that it helps create more awareness for these local businesses, helps keep them top of mind when locals and visitors next need their products or service, and most of all, contributes to creating a strong and thriving local community and economy.
We are so grateful to the local businesses who choose to work with The Fold Media. Without their belief and support in what we do, we wouldn’t be able to keep doing what it is that we love to do. Which is to create and share information about people, places and businesses in our wonderful region. We want to help everyone #LoveLivingLocal and make the most of this wonderful place we are lucky enough to call home.
And to you, our readers? We want to say a big THANK YOU to you. Firstly for taking the time to read this article, but also for supporting local businesses in general, as well as our sponsors who help make The Fold Media possible.
Together, let’s continue to support our local business community, in turn supporting their team, and our wonderful community overall. So let’s all choose local, whenever we possibly can.