China's First Internet Healthcare Annual Influencers List Unveiled with 182 Honorees

At 8:00 PM on February 1, 2016, the two-month-long online launch event for the Annual Internet Healthcare Hall of Fame was officially held. Ten rankings covering three major sectors—healthcare entrepreneurship, healthcare investment, and healthcare experts—were released simultaneously. Nearly 80 WeChat groups participated in the live broadcast, reaching over 25,000 industry professionals. VCBeat invited five industry luminaries—Duan Tao, Dean of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital; Zhang Qiang, Founder of the Zhang Qiang Doctor Group; Zhang Rui, Founder of Chunyu Doctors; Liao Xinbo, Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission; and Cai Daqing, Managing Director of Legend Capital—to jointly announce the rankings, discuss the year’s standout figures, analyze industry hotspots, and comment on emerging development trends.

20 Recommended Institutions, 17 Partner Media Outlets
Collaboration with big data companies, with over 300,000 participants

On December 14, 2015, the Internet Healthcare Rankings, hosted by VCBeat, were officially launched, with support from Yukun Technology, a company specializing in big data analysis and mining.

Over the course of five stages and nearly two months, the campaign has garnered significant attention from numerous industry institutions, media outlets, and experts. A total of 20 enterprises have been designated as recommended organizations for this initiative, including WeDoctor Group, DXY, Chunyu Doctor, Ping An Good Doctor, Xunyi Wenyao Network, Yihu Doctor, Apricot Forest (Xingshulin), Almond Doctor, Kuaisu Wen Yisheng, Medlive, Haodf Online, Jiuyi 160, Health Road, Medlinker, Chuan Taiyi, Gengmei, Sunshine Women and Children, Mommy Knows, Zhuojian Technology, and Ba Bama.

A total of 17 media outlets, including NetEase Technology, NetEase Health, Sohu Health, CEIBS Business Review, Caixin Health Point, iResearch, Contemporary Doctors, ePharma Internet Research, China Anesthesia Platform, eMedical, Translational Medicine Network, Bioon, YiOu.com, Leiphone, Yigu, New Health World, Smart e-Therapy, Jianmeng, and Borderless Healthcare, have become the partner media for this event—

On December 14, 2015, VCBeat issued an industry-wide call for nominations for its various awards. By January 6, 2016, VCBeat had received thousands of nominations and began the process of screening and selection. On January 10, 2016, nearly 200 companies and individuals were shortlisted as final candidates following the initial review. The voting phase commenced on January 11, sparking widespread attention and discussion across the industry over the subsequent two weeks. Nearly 300,000 votes were cast (WeChat-based filtering was implemented throughout the voting process to prevent invalid ballot stuffing).

Expert Perspectives: A Clash of Ideas
The Final Healthcare Industry Debate Before the Holiday

Over the past year, innovation and development in internet-based healthcare have ceased to be a solo performance by tech companies; instead, doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical enterprises, insurers, and other stakeholders have actively joined the ranks of industry innovation.

Physicians’ engagement with the internet has evolved beyond merely answering questions during fragmented spare time; it now encompasses the entire physician community, delivering a diverse range of medical and health services through models such as physician groups, private practices, and offline clinics. Innovative hospitals are shifting from a passive stance toward “Internet Plus” to proactively embracing “Plus Internet,” thereby leveraging their superior medical resources to create greater value in the digital era. Pharmaceutical companies are actively enhancing R&D and marketing efficiency by leveraging big data accumulated through internet-based tools and direct communication channels with physicians and patients. Insurance is also becoming increasingly integrated into the internet-based medical and health ecosystem, poised to play an ever more central role in both China’s digital health sector and its broader healthcare reforms.

As a vertical media outlet focused on internet healthcare startups, the event organizer VCBeat has invited numerous industry leaders to share their insights and discuss key trends, contributing their expertise to the innovative development of medical and health services in 2016.



▼ Duan Tao, President of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital

In 2014, internet companies claimed they would disrupt hospitals; by 2015, these same companies were suddenly busy establishing their own hospitals and clinics. The specific approach is less important than the underlying attitude. Internet companies and hospitals should not look down on each other. True medical innovation will only be realized when both sides achieve mutual encounter, understanding, and integration—becoming intertwined in a symbiotic relationship that sparks genuine collaboration.

To drive the transformation of China’s healthcare system, I am optimistic about two key forces: mobile health and physician practice.

In 2016, internet healthcare, physician groups, and physicians’ independent practice may enter a fast-track development phase, while major unicorn companies will engage in intense competition. Significant developments are expected in 2016, with a series of noteworthy events unfolding.



▼ Zhang Qiang, Founder of Dr. Zhang Qiang Medical Group

The emergence of mobile health has significantly influenced us. For instance, internet companies prioritize customer experience, which translates to focusing on patient experience in the healthcare sector—a mindset that is difficult to encounter within the traditional public healthcare system.

Physician groups have both benefited from and been constrained by the internet. Current internet products and technological solutions still struggle to meet the needs of physician groups. We hope that more internet companies will develop practical, ground-level products better suited for today’s medical services.

In 2016, a number of well-regulated physician groups will emerge across various specialties, alongside the rise of more robust internet healthcare companies. The integration of these two entities will create an effective closed-loop system, driving the industry toward stronger growth momentum.



▼ Zhang Rui, Founder of Chunyu Yisheng

Rather than disrupting healthcare, the core lies in the healthcare service chain; thus, the notion of disruption is inapplicable. “Reengineering healthcare” or “restructuring healthcare” would be more appropriate terms.

In 2015, Chunyu Doctor focused on only two initiatives. The first was establishing brick-and-mortar clinics, primarily because online healthcare could address only a portion of patient needs; Chunyu Doctor aimed to provide a more comprehensive user experience, which was also driven by commercialization requirements. The second initiative was preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) on China’s A-share market, thereby fulfilling its obligations to institutional and individual investors. This approach to fundraising at a lower cost was intended to strengthen its competitive position in the mobile healthcare sector. The year 2016 was expected to be a period of intense competition among mobile healthcare companies.

In 2016, Chunyu Yisheng focused on two key initiatives: First, integrating online and offline services by matching underutilized physicians with idle physical medical facilities. Insurers, Chunyu Yisheng, and patients formed the payer coalition, leveraging technological solutions to build this system. This endeavor had no precedents to learn from or benchmarks to reference, requiring us to forge our own path. Second, bridging healthcare and insurance. We assisted insurance companies in cost containment and supported them in developing innovative insurance products, such as outpatient coverage and chronic disease insurance.

What Will the Mobile Health Industry Look Like in 2016? I have three perspectives: First, competition within this industry will be extremely fierce and cutthroat. Second, the cost of launching healthcare startups will rise sharply, leading larger companies in the sector to acquire and merge with smaller ones. Third, policies governing mobile health will be further liberalized.



▼ Cai Daqing, Managing Director at Legend Capital

Over the past four years, Legend Capital has invested more than $300 million in over 30 companies across sectors including healthcare services, medical devices and diagnostics, and innovative drugs. In terms of investment allocation, approximately one-third was directed toward new drug development, one-third toward healthcare services, and the remaining one-third toward diagnostics and medical devices.

Here are four cases of internet healthcare companies invested by Legend Capital. One is Oncology News, which covers one-third of the more than 100,000 oncologists in China. Another is a company specializing in pediatric speech therapy, operating through an O2O model and achieving rapid growth. A third company, named Aier Times, provides services to children and the elderly with hearing loss by combining online and offline approaches. In addition, Legend Capital has invested in Tongxin Yilian, a company focused on medical equipment sharing.
Based on these examples, Legend Capital primarily seeks high-growth startups within major disease areas. We believe that healthcare will remain a rapidly expanding sector over the next 7–10 years, with internet healthcare, asset-light medical services, and health insurance-related fields serving as the three key pillars. Legend Capital will continue to focus on startups experiencing rapid growth in vertical specialties, as well as commercial opportunities that cut across multiple therapeutic areas, hospitals, and geographic regions.



▼Li Datao, Founder of VCBeat

Following the rapid development of 2014, widely regarded as the inaugural year of internet healthcare, the sector continued to be viewed in 2015 as a market with immense potential. Companies accelerated their strategic deployments in internet healthcare, giving rise to a fiercely competitive landscape characterized by a “race among contenders” involving large internet enterprises, startups, pharmaceutical supply chain players, real estate firms, and insurance companies. Large internet companies primarily sought to rapidly establish the framework of a healthcare ecosystem through capital acquisitions, whereas traditional industry participants and startups leveraged their respective strengths to penetrate vertical niche segments. Although no platform has yet achieved a coherent and complete closed-loop internet healthcare service model, some platforms have initially gained user scale and brand value, and are beginning to extend into multiple links of the industry chain in an effort to build comprehensive healthcare ecosystems.

From the perspective of VCBeat, whether entrepreneurs and investors in internet healthcare, or policymakers and industry commentators, all are heroes in the annals of internet healthcare. As the saying goes, “Where there is a will, the path to success can be forged.” We share this sentiment with all entrepreneurs: may you remain true to your original aspirations; may our collective efforts optimize, innovate, and reshape the existing healthcare landscape; and may all people enjoy physical and mental well-being.

10 Lists Depicting Three Major Fields
182 Listed Institutions and Individuals Define the New Industrial Landscape

In the boom year of 2015, driven by the state’s vigorous promotion of “Internet Plus” and mass entrepreneurship and innovation, coupled with deregulation in related sectors resulting from the deepening healthcare reforms, a significant influx of social capital entered the healthcare and venture capital fields, sparking explosive growth in the internet healthcare industry.

According to VCBeat's VBInsight "2015 Report on Investment and Financing in China's Internet Healthcare Sector》, in 2015, there were 187 public financing events in the internet healthcare sector, more than double that of 2014; the total investment amount exceeded $1.8 billion, a 28.5% increase from 2014; 169 companies received funding, with the number of angel-round projects being four times that of 2014.

Capital market recognition of internet healthcare is shifting from the secondary market to the primary market. Investments and mergers and acquisitions of internet healthcare enterprises by listed companies and industrial capital are continuously emerging, with some leading internet healthcare firms already having gone public or preparing for independent listings. With the implementation of major policies such as the registration-based IPO system and the Strategic Emerging Board, an increasing number of internet healthcare enterprises will list on the secondary market in the future, propelling the industry into a new phase driven by both capital and industrial development.

In terms of business models, numerous innovative approaches have emerged that are better aligned with China’s realities and leverage internet technologies to address the country’s healthcare challenges. Internet-based medical and health entry points are expanding from apps focused on doctor-patient communication, information, and tools into broader domains such as smart hardware and offline physical examinations. Platform models pursuing user scale are advancing toward deep vertical integration in specialized segments. Companies’ market expansion efforts are extending from first- and second-tier cities, where medical resources are concentrated, to third- and fourth-tier cities and even vast rural areas with insufficient medical resources. The restructuring and integration of the healthcare system driven by the internet is also extending across the entire healthcare ecosystem.

As a service provider for innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare industry, VCBeat has launched the 1st Annual China Internet Healthcare Influential List. In this era of dramatic change, we aim to document the heroes who are transforming the healthcare ecosystem and provide them with high-value services.

The complete list of the Internet Healthcare Annual Awards is as follows. Official website list addresshttp://data.vcbeat.top/vcbeat_spread/。

Three Major Categories, 10 Rankings

Entrepreneurship

The startup category comprises four rankings: “Most Watched Enterprises,” “Most Watched Emerging Enterprises,” “Best Startups,” and “Best Entrepreneurial Physicians.”

★01 Most Watched Companies List
“Most Watched Companies List” selects companies with valuations exceeding $100 million, ranking them by a weighted total score that integrates factors such as specific valuation, founders’ backgrounds, team members’ profiles, and growth prospects in their respective sectors, along with voting results. The list features 30 companies, ordered from highest to lowest by total score. It includes benchmark products across multiple niche segments, such as online medical consultation, gene sequencing, pharmaceutical e-commerce, and smart hardware.

★02 Most Watched Emerging Enterprises List
“Most Watched Emerging Enterprises List” features 30 outstanding emerging companies. Most of these companies have been established for a relatively short period but have already secured advantageous positions in technology, products, or niche sectors, gaining certain recognition and influence. VCBeat ranks them based on comprehensive evaluations including valuation and voting scores.

★03 Best Startup List
“Best Startups List” features companies at the seed to Series A financing stages, most of which are newly established ventures. VCBeat’s evaluation of these enterprises is primarily based on an assessment of their founding teams, core products, and target markets, with a focus on the uniqueness, competitiveness, and growth potential of each startup.

★04 Top Doctors in Entrepreneurship
Physicians are the core of the healthcare delivery process, and those who have stepped outside traditional hospital settings have emerged as entrepreneurial stars in the internet healthcare sector. The “Top Entrepreneurial Physicians List” features physicians who are making significant contributions to the digital health field. Some have established physician groups, advancing in their dual roles as clinicians and entrepreneurs, while others have become pure entrepreneurs, dedicated to empowering physicians to deliver medical services more effectively.

Investment Category

Investment rankings include the “Best Investment Firms,” “Best Investors,” and “Rising Star Investors” lists.

★ Top 5 Best Investment Institutions
“Top Investment Institutions List” shortlists 10 investment firms. The selection is based on the number of investments, the 2015 market ranking of portfolio companies, market influence, and the types of investments made by each institution.

★06 Best Investor List
“Top 10 Investors List”: Ten Finalists for the Best Investors. This list was compiled by evaluating portfolio companies based on dimensions such as growth rate in 2015, level of attention received, market ranking, and industry-specific rankings.

★Top 10 Emerging Investors List
“Top 10 Rising Investors” features ten rising investors. Eligibility for this list requires candidates to be aged 35 or younger, with selection based on multiple criteria including the growth rate of their portfolio companies in 2015, level of attention received, market ranking, and the industry standing of their invested projects.

Hospital Physicians

There are three physician-related hospital rankings, including “Best Hospitals,” “Best Hospital Presidents,” and “Best Doctors.” VCBeat received nominations from dozens of recommending institutions and self-nominations submitted online, totaling more than 60 hospitals, over 40 hospital administrators, and nearly 1,000 physicians. These institutions and individuals share a common label: actively embracing the internet and striving to provide better services for patients.

★08 Best Hospitals
The hospitals on this list not only represent the highest level of medical care in China but are also leading “Smart Hospitals” leveraging information technology. In these institutions, patients can effortlessly access services such as online intelligent triage, information inquiries, scheduled appointment registration, in-clinic payments, and retrieval of test reports—all at their fingertips. By employing advanced technologies, these hospitals have resolved the long-standing “three longs” problem (long wait times for registration, consultation, and medication pickup), thereby providing patients with convenient, one-stop medical services. Based on a comprehensive evaluation of general hospital profiles and smart hospital development, VCBeat initially selected 30 candidate hospitals and ultimately identified the following 10 exemplars of “Smart Hospitals.”

★09 Best Hospital Director
In 2015, the debate over whether it should be “Internet + Healthcare” or “Healthcare + Internet” attracted widespread attention. As leading proponents of “smart hospitals” in China, hospital administrators demonstrated through their concrete actions that, regardless of technological advancements, hospitals remain the core of the healthcare industry. Grounded in practicality yet forward-looking, they courageously explored and implemented innovative practices. Based on the status of information technology infrastructure at the candidates’ respective hospitals and their personal contributions to the development of “smart hospitals,” VCBeat conducted online voting and scoring to ultimately select the following ten Hospital Directors of the Year.

★Top 10 Best Doctors
The internet has transformed the way people live and work, including how physicians deliver medical services. The twenty physicians featured on this list are not only dedicated to their core clinical responsibilities but also active across various online platforms, providing patients with a range of services such as online consultations, appointment scheduling, health education, and chronic disease management. By comprehensively evaluating factors such as physicians’ online activity levels, service quality, and service volume, and combining these with online voting scores, VCBeat has selected the following 20 physicians as the Annual Best Physicians.

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The “2014–2015 Internet Healthcare Industry Annual Report” will be released shortly. Please stay tuned to the VCBeat official website and its WeChat public account.