Rock Health Announces Top 50 Digital Health Innovators of the Year

The annual Top 50 event, co-hosted by Rock Health, Fenwick & West, Goldman Sachs, and Square 1 Bank, recognizes 50 distinguished entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, journalists, and vendors who are bringing technological innovation to healthcare. Selected through voting by the digital health community, these 50 individuals and organizations are honored for their progress in advancing resource integration and innovation within the healthcare system.

From shaping healthcare policies to guiding corporate acquisitions, and from laboratory technologies to clinical applications, it is the winners of the Digital Health Top 50 who have driven the flourishing growth of digital health, earning the respect of healthcare professionals. VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has promptly compiled this information for you, highlighting which individuals and organizations have been announced as honorees this year.

She has made outstanding contributions to personalized reproductive medicine and the advancement of women’s health. Celmatix leverages big data analytics and genomics to empower women with greater insights into their fertility and reproductive health.

A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist. He covers healthcare, science, and finance. His series of investigative stories on Theranos comprehensively exposed serious problems and potential misconduct within the organization.

As a renowned health information technology expert, he specializes in health data exchange and population health management. He serves as the Director of Standards and Government Affairs for Medicity at Aetna, wielding significant influence in the digital health sector with 39,000 followers.

Dr. Karen DeSalvo, a physician serving at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, plays a leadership role in improving patients’ access to affordable, high-quality care by advancing innovative health technologies, policies, and data tools. She engages directly with patients, advocates on their behalf, and drives technological innovations that benefit patients.

Since 2012, Dan Burton has served as CEO of Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare data warehousing, analytics, and outcomes improvement, and was the company’s first investor. With a 99% approval rating on the professional community platform Glassdoor, Burton believes that Health Catalyst’s culture and its work are critical to disrupting traditional healthcare models.

Marc Benioff’s 2016 angel investments included Remedy (seed round), Bloomlife (seed round), and Zebra Medical Vision (Series A and seed round). Marc was also an early angel investor in ZocDoc, Fitbit, and Cue. In addition to quietly building a premier angel investment portfolio in the digital health sector, Marc has made substantial charitable investments in healthcare innovation.

Dr. McDonald-Mosley is the Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood, a nonprofit organization. She has transformed how people engage with reproductive health by making clinical knowledge and education more accessible through new technologies across various platforms. Recently, she has spearheaded numerous innovative initiatives for diverse patient populations in need, including chat/text-based educational programs, the SpotOn app, and telehealth efforts in care delivery.

EverlyWell is transforming consumers’ ingrained habits of undergoing health testing in laboratories, enabling individuals to access their own personalized health information from the comfort of their homes. Home health tests can be ordered online, with comprehensive results available for online review, offering a highly convenient alternative to traditional diagnostic testing.Read the full VCBeat report: EverlyWell Leverages Big Data to Meet Home Healthcare Needs, Making “At-Home Self-Checkups” Possible

Grand Rounds offers solutions that determine when and where consumers should receive care, providing employees and their families with the information needed to make the most critical and informed decisions. By enabling open communication and offering comprehensive benefits—including unlimited platform access—Grand Rounds empowers employees to work happily and healthily.

Validic’s platform provides easy access to clinical and health data. Over the past year, Validic has driven the creation of the largest digital health ecosystem in the industry, serving a customer base of 223 million across 52 countries and integrating 68% of devices and applications.

Owlstone Medical’s vision was to save 100,000 lives and reduce healthcare costs by $1.5 billion by 2020, leading to the development of ReCIVA—a breath biopsy device for disease detection. Breath sampling and analysis technologies can diagnose cancer and other diseases earlier than existing testing methods, enabling earlier access to more effective treatments, ultimately improving survival rates and reducing treatment costs.

Wellist provides healthcare providers with the tools and insights needed to address patients’ real-world needs, thereby enhancing patient satisfaction. The Wellist team reflects the diversity of the patient populations it serves, encompassing a wide range of ages, ethnicities, and genders. Wellist has also made significant efforts to promote diversity within the digital health community. The company aligns with the Diversity Leadership Award established in collaboration with Disruptive Women in Health Care, positioning itself as a clear advocate in this field.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation supports various research initiatives and programs, striving to enable more people to live healthy lives. Diversity and inclusion are core values of the organization, reflected in its leadership and its numerous efforts to provide opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women within the organization. Clearly, the Foundation serves as a model for building and maintaining a diverse workforce.

UPMC Enterprises (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Enterprises)）, is the commercialization arm of UPMC, shaping the future of healthcare through innovation. Focused on delivering impactful technology solutions, it invests in key areas including clinical tools, population health, consumer-centric healthcare, commercial services, and infrastructure. As one of the most active corporate venture capitalists in digital health this year, UPMC has participated in multiple financing rounds, most notably with investments in Health Catalyst and Lantern.

Khosla Ventures supports companies with breakthrough technological solutions. As a long-term investor in technology and healthcare, Khosla Ventures participated in five digital health deals this year, most notably including Neurotrack and Color Genomics.

Evolent Health partners with health systems to accelerate their transition to value-based care. By integrating the people, processes, and technology needed to drive clinical and financial growth, Evolent has unlocked the formula for success. It is the top-performing digital health company in terms of stock returns to date, having surged 114% since the beginning of the year.Read VCBeat’s full report: Why Did Healthcare Consulting Firm Evolent Health Go Public in Just Four Years?

LVL is the first wearable hydration monitor, providing users with a comprehensive health analysis by tracking activity, sleep, mood, and heart rate. The company launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with a goal of $50,000 but raised $1.1 million, enabling supporters to measure their hydration levels in real time. Notably, fewer than 200 companies have raised over $1 million this year.

Pokémon GO has taken the world by storm this year, drawing 21 million people to wake up on time every day and catch Pokémon in a virtual reality world while on the go. Although not technically a health app, this exciting new technology has won favor among both young and old, thanks to its innovative augmented reality design that encourages them to step outside and actively hunt for “prey.”