INSIGHTS
January 18, 2022

January, we hear you loud and clear

January came in roaring, with voice- and audio-enabled health tech leading the charge. So far this month, Stryker bought Vocera Communications for its hands-free clinical communication tools, voice assistant Speak2Family acquired competitor SoundMind Clients, Highmark Health and Bosch announced a research initiative using audio to diagnose pulmonary conditions, and smart hearing startups BeHear and Eargo debuted products at CES. Not to mention DeepScribe, Robin, and Suki all closed funding rounds in the past several weeks.

Startups and established enterprises alike are betting on the potential of sound to transform healthcare. Last year, Microsoft purchased Nuance, a healthcare pioneer in AI voice recognition, while Amazon moved its Alexa voice technology into hospitals and senior centers. Plus, Oracle chairman Larry Ellison called out Cerner’s ​​hands-free voice interface in the company’s acquisition press release as a key enabler of innovation to come. 2022, all eyes—and ears—on you.

The digital health industry continues to grow—and so does Rock Health! We’re hiring for a number of open roles, including Research Associate, Operations Manager, Business Development Manager, and more. If you’re excited about the chance to work for a growing organization focused on the intersection of healthcare and technology, we’d love for you to join us.

Headlines

The New Trend in Healthcare: Do-It-Yourself
The growing trend of healthcare as a “consumer product” The Wall Street Journal

J&J Medical Devices Partner With Microsoft To Expand Digital Surgery Solutions
J&J seeks to create unified platform across all its surgical technologies HIT Consultant

Telehealth Companies Are Testing The Waters With Taking On More Risk
Teladoc and Heartbeat Health explore risk-sharing contracts for telemedicine STAT

Virtual Care’s Role In Combating The Youth Mental Health Crisis
Rock Health portco Brightline discusses COVID’s impact on pediatric behavioral health MobiHealthNews

First Venture Fund For Black-Owned Health Startups Launches With $55 Million
Jumpstart Health Investors creates spin-off firm to exclusively invest in Black founders dot.LA

Headspace Health Acquires AI-Powered Mental Health Company Sayana
First purchase post-Ginger focuses on providing AI-driven self care Techcrunch

OSF Ventures Just Launched A $100M Fund
Directed at next-gen care models, community health, social determinants of health, and more MedCity News

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