1. What are your expectations for digital health in FY 2016 and beyond?
The year has kicked off on a strong note for digital health. We’ve already seen $1.8 billion flow into the space, and that’s just the beginning.
Looking at 2016 and into 2018, I’m expecting a continued rise in Series A-stage companies. What’s exciting is that many of the startups that were in pre-seed or seed stages just a couple of years ago are now maturing into solid, venture-ready businesses. They’ve acquired users, validated business models, and caught the attention of serious investors.
One recurring question I get is whether I favor B2B or B2C models in healthcare. My answer? A healthy mix of both. B2C startups, in particular, are in a unique position—they often have a more intimate understanding of the patient or end-user, something that traditional healthcare stakeholders are still trying to catch up on. This insight creates a powerful opportunity to bridge the gap between clinical systems and user-centric innovation.
In fact, this growing consumer influence is something we explored more deeply in our overview of digital health trends shaping patient behavior and engagement.
2. Do healthcare startups still need accelerators?
Not every startup needs an accelerator—but in digital health, they can be game-changers.
Why? Because healthcare is a complicated, highly regulated space. It’s tough to get the attention of early-stage investors or angel networks unless you’ve already built credibility. Accelerators help build that bridge.
Take a closer look at the data: only 14% of Series A founders come from a medical background. The majority come from tech or business—smart people, no doubt, but often without the network or domain-specific mentorship to navigate healthcare’s unique dynamics. That’s where accelerators step in.
They help startups plug into vital networks—whether it’s access to stakeholders, feedback from hospital systems, or introductions to industry-savvy advisors. Good accelerators don’t just offer co-working space or demo days. They provide practical context: how to pitch to a pharma stakeholder, how to align with reimbursement models, and how to structure your business to solve actual problems—not just hypotheticals.
This kind of foundational support is something we also touched on in our breakdown of startup readiness in digital health, especially when it comes to scaling across fragmented healthcare systems.
Final Thoughts
Digital health has entered a new phase—less hype, more traction. As more startups graduate from MVP to market-ready, the demand for smart capital, structured support, and domain fluency only grows.
Berlin is becoming a hub for this new class of entrepreneurs. With ecosystems like Startupbootcamp leading the charge, we’re not just seeing more startups—we’re seeing better startups.
And that’s the kind of momentum worth paying attention to.
He has invested in startups including American Well, Neuronation, Mimi, and most notably mySugr – which was recently acquired by Roche. Min-Sung is also a contributing writer for mediums including TechCrunch and Tech.EU and studied Business Economics at Witten/Herdecke, Harvard, St.Gallen, and in Seoul.