2017 was a record year for digital health by many accounts: total funding far surpassed previous years, there were more investors participating in digital health deals, and we saw more mega deals of $100M+ than ever before. With the industry maturing and entering its “middle innings,” we significantly expanded our Digital Health Funding Database and the information we track on every venture deal and company.
2017 was a record-smashing year for digital health, with venture funding approaching $6B and the most mega deals ($100M+) to date. It’s clear that the early game has concluded and digital health is entering the “middle innings” as an investment sector.
Rock Health and AARP Foundation joined forces for the 2017 Aging in Place $50K Challenge to identify startups with solutions to help low-income, older Americans remain in their homes and communities as they age. The panel of judges named DispatchHealth the winner of the $50,000 cash prize and opportunity to work with AARP Foundation.
Each year we recognize the leading entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, reporters, and providers dedicated to bringing technological advancements to healthcare are and recognize their work from the past year. We're honored to announce the Top 50 in Digital Health 2018.
An expert in the field of AI, Andrew Ng shares what the digital health community needs to understand about trendy technology, by separating hype from reality, while discussing how these technologies are creating real value in healthcare—today and throughout the decade ahead.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will not yet reimburse for telehealth delivery of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program. What does this mean now and going forward?
Though we have a long way to go, digital health is no longer in its infancy. Since Rock Health began tracking digital health deals in 2011, over $22B in funding has poured into the sector—and beyond the staggering figures, the burgeoning number of entrepreneurs, growing cohort of matured companies, and increased stakeholder engagement all indicate digital health is at an inflection point between the early days of possibilities and the future of fully-realized potential. Last month we brought together a diverse group of over 600 individuals across healthcare and beyond for our sixth Rock Health Summit to get to the heart of what exactly digital health’s ‘middle innings’ require.
Women are critical stakeholders in healthcare, serving as workers, caregivers, and consumers—yet they do not have an equal voice in the ranks of leadership. Our goal with this report is to contribute to a meaningful and actionable dialogue around women in leadership, with the hopes of providing a foundation for our industry to finally turn this dialogue into action.
Funding
2017 is already the largest year yet for digital health funding—but the funding spike of Q2 has steadied. Q3 funding came in at $1.2B, bringing the YTD total to $4.7B and pushing funding beyond the prior historic annual high of $4.6B in 2015. Of note: 16% of the 83 deals this quarter were raised by companies led by women CEOs, up from 11% at the half-year mark.