Observations by a European Venture Capitalist
Digitalisation of health care has accelerated in recent years due to converging forces across technology, demographics and economics. Even years ago, the cost of sensors and computing power was falling while smartphone adoption was soaring, making remote monitoring and telemedicine feasible.
Health systems are grappling with ageing populations and rising rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. …
Europe’s digital health sector has produced world‑class research and life‑saving innovations, but saving lives alone is not enough to build sustainable companies. Many European digital health startups struggle to commercialise ideas that emerge from hospitals and academia, and they often remain stuck in pilot projects.
Fragmented reimbursement systems, strict privacy rules and cultural resistance to change make it difficult to …
Digital health startups across Europe have access to a growing number of accelerator programmes designed to nurture innovation and prepare companies for investment. These accelerators provide mentorship, networks of clinicians and payers, and often small amounts of funding in exchange for equity. We count more than twenty such initiatives, from pan‑European platforms like EIT Health and Startupbootcamp Digital Health to …
In 2016 the term “unicorn”—a privately held company worth more than $1 billion—was already part of the tech lexicon. But applying that label to a European digital health company remains aspirational. In the United States, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and broader reforms in the early 2010s created fertile ground for digital health startups: millions of newly …
Raising funding isn’t easy.
In fact, for many founders—especially first-timers in healthcare—it can feel like trying to land a meeting with a rockstar agent. You’re competing with hundreds, maybe thousands of other hopefuls, all trying to stand out in a crowded inbox.
As a venture capitalist who has reviewed more than 2,300 digital health startups across Europe, I’ve seen …