Opportunity evaluation
Analyze the viability and profitability of a new activity
For more than 30 years, our specialized team has been supporting companies in assessing their business opportunities, whether in products, technologies, services or markets.
They trust us
The key success factors of an opportunity evaluation
Opportunity evaluation is an essential step in deciding whether to invest in a new project, whether it’s accessing a new market with an existing solution, launching a new product or service, or acquiring and deploying technology. It is a rigorous exercise, requiring multiple analyses, and is based on several key success factors:
The first step in an opportunity evaluation is to assess the market concerned by the project: what is the existing competitive offer? What is the current level of demand? What needs and expectations are not being met? What are the most promising segments? What are the key trends and dynamics in this market? What regulations are in force? etc. These are all questions that need to be answered by projecting the opportunity in question into this context to analyze the market’s level of attractiveness.
What are the drivers of the target market? What are the potential barriers and threats? How attractive is it?
Once the level of attractiveness has been established, the next step is to assess and confirm the “winning” aspect of the opportunity in question in the target market. Does your company have the necessary assets (skills, technological potential, human or material resources, etc.) to succeed in this market? In a changing environment, will your organization be agile enough to adapt? It’s time to take an introspective look at your company’s strengths and weaknesses, to determine its ability to succeed in the target market.
Does the company have the necessary resources to implement the solution in question in the target market? How can you prepare for unexpected opportunities or threats?
Evaluating an opportunity is to make a strategic decision. In this context, a key element is to involve the company’s management early in the process to 1) confirm that the opportunity is in line with the company’s strategic imperatives and 2) receive the support of management to guarantee the key elements of its success, and particularly the mobilization of the necessary resources.
When and how should management be involved? How do you present the opportunity and ensure that it is in line with the company’s vision?
How we support you in your opportunity evaluations
When carrying out an opportunity evaluation, our analysis dimensions are varied and adapted to the problems of our client: regulatory, technological, economic, ethical, sociological aspects, etc. Through these dimensions, we evaluate the attractiveness of opportunities as opposed to their feasibility, all within a given time horizon, which allows us to distinguish between “quick-wins” and longer-term projects.
Alcimed has developed a particular know-how in evaluating business opportunities in very specialized or even niche markets (orphan diseases, emerging technologies, specific geographies, etc.) where information and/or expertise are generally limited.
What they say
"Alcimed made it easy for us to the search for clients and helped us adapt our concept, our value propositions and verify the viability of the proposed solution in terms of business."
Hervé DUJARDIN
Innovation & technology Director
"Together between Alcimed and Nestlé Health Science, we made informed decision on where the best opportunities were and why and how to select the most valuable assets in our investigation."
Bernard Cuenoud
Global Head of Research and Clinical Development
"Like a compass, Alcimed helped us determine the fields in which we wanted to develop, in this case biosimilars. Alcimed is our strategic, marketing and operational ally."
Bertrand Mérot
CEO
"Alcimed is the consulting company that supported MICA for its creation."
Lionel LIMOUSY
Director
Examples of recent opportunity evaluations carried out for our clients
Strategic evaluation of a digital health opportunity in the pain management market
We supported a pharmaceutical company to take a position on a proposed acquisition of a new digital pain management solution.
We characterized the key markets in pain management by segmenting them by geography and use case, and evaluated the potential for the solution, taking into account, regulatory specificities, market access, cultural habits, etc. Finally, we validated the value proposition of the start-up’s value proposition and recommended to our client to proceed with the technical due diligence.
Selection of the best development opportunities for a gene therapy in rare diseases
We supported a biotech company specialized in gene therapy for rare diseases in one of its strategic development projects. Our client’s goal was to build a franchise in the field of neuro-ophthalmology for the next 5 years.
The main challenge being related to the nature of rare diseases (little or no information, a strong dispersion of patients, poorly optimized care pathways, strong disparities between geographies…), we assisted our client in a commercial pre-evaluation on 3 rare ophthalmic diseases: description of the disease, epidemiological analysis, diagnosis and treatment practices, competitive landscape, unmet needs,… in order to guide our client towards commercial opportunities, indicate how to address them, and recommend the opportunity to work on in priority.
Opportunity evaluation for a companion medical device
We helped the Cardiology division of one of our clients understand whether a start-up developing a home-based medical device, which measures a cardiac parameter of interest, may be an appropriate partner for a strategic investment; and whether the medical device of this start-up can be profitable as a stand-alone product within a 3-to-5-year time horizon.
To do so, our team first realized an analysis of the revenue projections of the start-up via a benchmark of the activities of similar companies, an in-depth study of the competition, and an estimation of the market potential in several geographies. We then conducted a strategic audit of the start-up’s assets.
In the end, our study enabled us to recommend to our client to include the device into its portfolio rather than marketing it as a stand-alone product.
Opportunity evaluation and search for partners in e-health
We assisted one of our clients, a leading industrial player in healthcare, in the evaluation of a strategic opportunity in the e-health speech disorders market.
To do so, our team conducted a literature review and interviews to identify the players, understand and evaluate the teletherapy market for speech and language disorders. We interviewed potential partners to understand their solutions, their current business models and to evaluate their willingness to partner with our client. For this search for partners, our team developed an interactive Excel tool to describe and visualize the potential partnering models between our client and each of the companies studied.
In the end, our client was able to short-list partners, meet with them and conclude an agreement with one of them.
Analysis of the opportunity to use exosomes as therapeutic vectors for a pharmaceutical company
Alcimed carried out a state-of-the-art and an analysis of the commercial potential of treatments using exosomes for a pharmaceutical company. The objective for our client was to decide whether adding this technology to their portfolio was relevant.
To do this, we carried out a multifaceted analysis covering production methods, an estimate of the production capacity required, the maturity of the technology, regulatory aspects, as well as the market and the main players.
Ultimately, our investigative and analytical work enabled us to draw up strategic recommendations enabling our client to make its decision.
Opportunity evaluation for the transposition of a technology to a new healthcare field for a medical device company
A medical device company wanted to explore the possibility of extending their technology to a new field: oncology. The study focused in particular on unmet needs in this field.
To do this, we carried out a literature review and numerous interviews with experts around the world, in order to identify opportunities arising from needs and gaps expressed by healthcare professionals. We also carried out a competitive study to better understand the market environment and the threats to our client.
The results of our study enabled our client to determine whether there was a need for this technology in oncology and to validate the existence of a potential market.
Evaluation of the business opportunity to launch an e-health solution of self-rehabilitation for post-stroke spasticity patients, in France
Alcimed supported a mid-size pharma company in assessing the business potential in France of launching an e-health solution for self-rehabilitation for post-stroke spasticity patients as a standalone product with a dedicated business model.
We assessed first the interest of HCPs for such a solution, their opinion on the level of use by patients, and the features they would like to see in the solution. In a second step, based on this feedback and data coming from desk research, we built a business case with different profitability scenarios for the solution as a standalone product.
At the end of the project, the client was able to decide on how to move forward with the development of the solution, and where they should invest in priority.
Commercial pre-evaluation: selection of the best development opportunities for a gene therapy in rare diseases
We supported a biotech company specialized in gene therapy for rare diseases in one of its strategic development projects. Our client’s goal was to build a franchise in the field of neuro-ophthalmology for the next 5 years.
The main challenge being related to the nature of rare diseases (little or no information, a strong dispersion of patients, poorly optimized care pathways, strong disparities between geographies…), we assisted our client in a commercial pre-evaluation on 3 rare ophthalmic diseases: description of the disease, epidemiological analysis, diagnosis and treatment practices, competitive landscape, unmet needs,… in order to guide our client towards commercial opportunities, indicate how to address them, and recommend the opportunity to work on in priority.
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Founded in 1993, Alcimed is an innovation and new business consulting firm, specializing in innovation driven sectors: life sciences (healthcare, biotech, agrifood), energy, environment, mobility, chemicals, materials, cosmetics, aeronautics, space and defence.
Our purpose? Helping both private and public decision-makers explore and develop their uncharted territories: new technologies, new offers, new geographies, possible futures, and new ways to innovate.
Located across eight offices around the world (France, Europe, Singapore and the United States), our team is made up of 220 highly-qualified, multicultural and passionate explorers, with a blended science/technology and business culture.
Our dream? To build a team of 1,000 explorers, to design tomorrow’s world hand in hand with our clients.
An opportunity evaluation is an analysis of the viability and profitability of a potential new business (a product, a technology, a service, a market…).
An opportunity study consists of a detailed analysis of factors such as current supply and demand, regulations, and the resources needed to seize the identified opportunity. It can also include the development of a business case incorporating financial analyses to determine the project’s potential costs and benefits, and thus its level of profitability and risk.
There are generally 4 main stages in carrying out an opportunity evaluation:
- Define the opportunity: its scope, the company’s objectives, the resources required and the expected results.
- Analysing the target market: supply, demand, regulations, market trends and prospects.
- Validating the feasibility of the project: understanding the risks, measuring the resource requirements for success, devising strategies to be implemented in the light of potential risks.
- Deciding and planning: presenting the project with a view to deciding whether or not to go ahead with the idea, planning the launch stages, defining and monitoring key performance indicators.