CB Insights Releases Prospectus Highlighting Rock Health, Khosla Ventures, and Qualcomm Ventures as Top Digital Health Investors (2014–H1 2016)

Recently, the ranking of the most active investment institutions in the digital health sector from 2014 to the first half of 2016 was released, with the top three beingRock Health, Khosla Venturesand Qualcomm Ventures。

As more investors turn their attention to digital health, this sector has become a hot spot in the current market. In 2015, at least 1,350 investors made investments in digital health. As of June 2016, approximately 800 investors had invested in this field, and the number of digital health deals is projected to surpass that of 2015 by the end of this year.

Figure: Number of Active Investors in the Digital Health Sector, 2012–2015

So, which investment firms are the most active in this field?

A review of the investor rankings from 2014 to the present reveals that Rock Health tops the list, having invested in more than 20 digital health companies. Khosla Ventures ranks second, with its portfolio including Misfit, Ginger.io, and Oscar. Qualcomm Ventures comes in third.

Rock Health, founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA, specializes in investing in digital health. The firm focuses on early-stage investments and has backed companies such as Welkin Health, Sano, and Augmedix within the digital health sector.

Welkin Health, founded in July 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA, is dedicated to building a platform for personal health management solutions. Users can record their health data via the mobile application provided by Welkin Health, where professionals conduct analyses and assessments of their physical condition and offer guidance on daily healthy living. Additionally, users can communicate online with healthcare providers.

The company’s initial business focus was on chronic disease management for diabetes. After securing a $2 million seed funding round in July 2015, the company planned to expand its chronic care offerings to include hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and congestive heart failure.

In December 2011, SANO was founded in San Francisco, USA,CompanyAimed atDevelop multiple types of trackingHuman BodySensors for Biomarkers。

Its flagship product is a wearable sensor pad capable of continuously monitoring biochemical indicators in human blood.SANO'sFundThe painless device that acquires data through the skin is similar in size to a nicotine patch used for smoking cessation and can measure the wearer’s blood glucose and potassium levels. The material cost of each sensor pad ranges from $1 to $2, with a service life of approximately one week.

ProductThe ultimate goal is to monitor all routine metabolic indicators, including renal function and electrolyte balance. SANO stated，The device is an "application programming interface to the blood." Wearers can access relevant data via smartphones or other devices.

SANO Company secured seed funding rounds of $20,000, $3.75 million, and $6.5 million in January 2012, January 2013, and June 2015, respectively.

In January 2012, Augmedix was founded in San Francisco, USA.Dedicated to providing a Google Glass-based electronic medical record platform, enabling physicians toGoogle GlassThe device accesses “information on health history, laboratory orders, medication prescriptions, and other aspects.”.

This service is primarily driven by voice commands.。Augmedix is known as the “first Google Glass application enterprise.”。Currently, there are 12 medical institutions from five states, totaling several dozenNameFor physician useThisProduct. The company is developing products forAdd video communication functionality,This feature enablesThe doctor directly communicates with the other party via video.NameDoctor conducts dialogue。

In June 2014, Augmedix raised $3.2 million in seed funding; in January 2015, the company secured $16 million in Series A financing.

Khosla Ventures was founded in 2004,Headquartered in California, USA,Khosla Ventures is an investment firm focused on the information technology sector.Its investment stages include early-stage and late-stage. In addition to venture capital, its business areas also encompass private equity, debt financing, and post-IPO equity financing. In the digital health sector, the company has invested inLumiata, Impossible Foods, Atomwise, and other projects.

Lumiata was founded in January 2013 and is headquartered in San Mateo, USA,is a big data healthcare services company that primarily leverages big data techniques to enable real-time predictive analytics for healthcare services. Lumiata’s core predictive analytics product is the Risk Matrix., the product needs to be collectedA Large Number of Health Plan Members or PatientsData Points, and then plot the trajectory of disease risk over time for each individual.

In January 2014, Lumiata raised $4 million in Series A financing. In September 2014, the company secured an additional $6 million in Series A financing, completing its Series A round. In May 2016, Lumiata raised $10 million in Series B financing from Intel Capital.

Impossible FoodsEstablished inIn March 2011, headquartered in California, USA,is a food technology company dedicated to creating foods using plant-based proteins,Its productsIt is comparable to or even better than fresh and cooked meat in terms of appearance, taste, and chewiness.

Impossible Foods is a startup founded by biochemistry researchers from Stanford University in the United States. The company primarily focuses on developing technologies to produce meat and dairy products using molecules derived from plant-based heme. Venture capital firms backed by Google and Microsoft founder Bill Gates have previously invested in Impossible Foods.

July 2011,Impossible FoodsConduct$9 million in Series A financing; in July 2013, the company secured $25 million in Series B financing; in June 2014,Impossible FoodsConduct$40 million in Series C financing. In September 2015, the company secured another $108 million in Series D financing.

Atomwise was founded in June 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA,is a company that leverages supercomputers for drug research and development,Aimed atLeveraging supercomputers, AI, and complex algorithms to simulate the drug manufacturing process, thereby predicting the efficacy of new drugs while reducing research and development costs.

Currently, the Atomwise software platform runs on IBM’s Blue Gene/Q supercomputer. Its exceptional computational power enables the completion of numerous tasks, such as evaluating 8.2 million compounds and identifying potential treatments for multiple sclerosis within days.

In 2015, Atomwise announced progress in identifying potential treatments for the Ebola virus. In addition to undertaking confidential projects with Merck and Autodesk, Atomwise has continued its research collaborations with academic institutions and corporate clients.

In December 2014, Atomwise raised $120,000 in seed funding; in June 2015, the company secured an additional $6 million in seed funding.

Qualcomm VenturesEstablished inIn 2000, headquartered in San Diego, USA, the firm made early- and late-stage investments ranging from $500,000 to $10 million. Its areas of focus includedAR/VR/3D, artificial intelligence, digital health, Internet of Things (IoT), semiconductors, big data, and more. The portfolio companies span North America, Israel, China, Europe, Brazil, and South Korea. In the field of digital health, the company has invested in Tuoshi Medical,Welltok、Portea Medical, Mint Health, and other projects.

Tuoshi Medical was founded inJune 2013, headquartered in Beijing.Tuoshi Medical is an internet pharmaceutical platform catering to high-end clients, leveraging medical resources from Beijing’s top-tier (Grade A tertiary) hospitals and military hospitals to provide access to health steward and private physician services.

In December 2014, Tuoshi Medical secured an angel round of financing amounting to several million RMB; in April 2015, the company raised several million US dollars in its Series A financing.

Welltok was founded in 20091Month, headquartered in Denver, USA,is a developer of a self-health management platform,ProductIt primarily encourages users to proactively engage in personal health management through incentives and rewards.

CompanyNot only does it provide health data analysis and professional health management recommendations, but it also uses this as the platform’s entry point to integrate other service providers, such as hardware manufacturers, insurance companies, content providers, and applications, while simultaneously, the product alsoProvide Management Solutions for Population Health Management Companies. ItsPartnersIncludingWearable hardware, MapMyFitness and FitBit, and social networks.

Welltok’s approach to health management incorporates specific plans and outcome predictions, while leveraging gamification and personalized data to tailor services to the individual. When users adopt healthy habits according to Welltok’s recommended protocols, they receive corresponding rewards, such as points, gift cards, or cash.

In August 2011, Welltok secured $4.98 million in Series A financing; in April 2013, the company raised $18.7 million in Series B financing; in February 2014, Welltok obtained another $22 million in Series C financing; and in December 2015, it completed a $45 million Series D financing round.

Portea MedicalThe company was founded inIn May 2013, headquartered in Bangalore, India,It is an Indian organization providing home healthcare services, offering basic care, advanced care, and comprehensive care services tailored to diverse family needs.

August 2014,Portea MedicalCompany CompletedSeries B Financing.

Bohe.com was founded in January 2007 and is headquartered in Shanghai.is a weight management operatorBoohee.com has launched an online weight-loss platform, available via its website and mobile applications “Boohee Love Slimming” and “Boohee Food Database.” Currently, Boohee.com’s user base has reached20 million users, of whom 17 million used the “Bohe Ai Slimming” app.

Bohe.com features experts providing guidance to users,Based on the user's individual circumstances, with the NICE weight-loss method as the foundation，Paid Service for Customized Weight Loss PlansThe platform includesWeight Loss Tools：Boohee Food Database, 1-Minute Self-Assessment, Calorie Calculator, Fat-Burning Exercise Calculator, etc.Additionally, a forum is provided for users to engage in discussions.。VCBeat has launched “Boohee Weight Loss Coach”Online Training Certification.

In March 2011, Bohe.com secured Series A financing of several million U.S. dollars; in May 2014, the company raised tens of millions of U.S. dollars in its Series B round.

Meanwhile, the ranking of the most popular startup accelerators in the digital health sector was also released.

The Most Popular Startup Accelerator in the Digital Health Sectorand its incubated projects

(June 2014–June 2016)

In the ranking of the most popular startup accelerators, the top three areY Combinator, DreamIt VenturesandBluePrint Health。

Y CombinatorFounded inIn April 2005, the totalHeadquartered in Mountain View, California, USA,is a startup incubator,itsProvides funding, business consulting, and other services to numerous startups.

Y Combinator focuses exclusively on the earliest-stage startup teams, typically providing entrepreneurs with “seed funding” of $20,000 or less., andIntervene at the early stage of a startup team and provide corresponding assistance.

Y Combinator regularly holds Funding Application events, accepting project submissions from startup teams. If a project passes the review process, Y Combinator provides investment under a “$5,000 + $5,000n” model (where n refers to the number of Y Combinator partners willing to participate in the project’s investment).）。

In 2012, Forbes named YC the most valuable incubator.. In the field of digital health,Y Combinator Notable investment projects includeGinkgo Bioworks, Lully, 20n, etc.

Ginkgo Bioworks, founded in June 2008 and headquartered in Boston, USA, is a biotechnology startup.Synthesizing scents and producing flavorings primarily through genetically engineered or even custom-designed microorganisms. Ginkgo Bioworks claims that it can cultivate these natural ingredients in just 10 days, similar to beer production, thereby reducing costs by 50–90%.

July 2015,Gingko BioworksObtain$45 million Series B financing round.

Lully was founded in March 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.It is a company focused on adjunctive therapy for infant night terrors. Its products combine a unique vibration device with a mobile app to help infants transition from nightmares to light sleep, thereby alleviating night terror symptoms.In 2015,Lully distributed its beta version to 150 families, and night sleep tests involving 5,000 participants showed an 80% reduction in nightmares among children and a 70% improvement in sleep quality.。

In June 2015, Lully secured $2.1 million in seed funding.

20n was founded in January 2014 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.It is a gene technology company. In genetic engineering, it is often necessary to modify the genes of certain organisms to enable them to automatically synthesize specific chemical substances, and 20n aims to optimize this process through computational technologies.

In May 2015, 20n secured $2.1 million in angel funding.

Dreamit VenturesEstablished inIn 2007, headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA,is a global startup incubator and venture capital firm, primarily focused on early-stage, growth-stage, and mature-stage investments in sectors such as mobile internet and software.