Mercom: Global digital health VC funding hits record $3.1B

Global VC funding for digital health companies in the first 9 months of 2018 was 46 percent higher year-over-year (YoY), according to Mercom capital. Put into dollars, that’s $8 billion raised in 556 deals compared to $5.5 billion in 586 deals during the same period last year. This figure also makes 2018 the single largest year ever in terms of digital health funding, with VC funding alone accounting for $3.1 billion spread across 173 deals in Q3 2018.

“For the first time, we saw funding cross $3 billion in a single quarter in digital health and funding raised year-to-date has already surpassed all of 2017 with a realistic chance of hitting $10 billion this year,” Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, said in a statement. “The sector has significant momentum and substance behind this record funding, from regulatory support to entry of large tech and healthcare companies — including a slew of intellectual property applications and FDA approvals.”

Healthcare Practice-focused companies received 40 percent of the funding in Q3 2018, raising $1.3 billion in 62 deals compared to $702 million in 58 deals in Q2 2018. Healthcare Consumer-centric companies accounted for 60 percent of the funding in Q3 2018, raising $1.9 billion in 111 deals compared to $1.7 billion in 138 deals in Q2 2018.

The top funded categories in Q3 2018 were: Data Analytics with $889 million, mHealth Apps with $504 million, Mobile Wireless at $456 million, Telemedicine companies with $374 million, Wearables with $149 million, Social Health Networks with $148 million, and Wellness with $117 million.

There were 68 early stage deals in Q3 2018, including one accelerator/incubator deal.

The Top VC deals in 2018 to date included: $300 million raised by 23andMe, $291 million raised by American Well, $250 million by Butterfly Health Network, $240 million raised by Heartflow, $200 million raised by Helix, and $200 million raised by SomaLogic.

A total of 1,132 investors participated in digital health funding deals in 9M 2018.

When it comes to the M&A activity, it too is slightly ahead of last year, with 172 deals during the first 9 months of the year, compared to 146 deals during the same period of 2017. In Q3, M&A activity was 56 deals, compared to the 68 M&A transactions in Q2 2018.

Top M&A transactions in 9M 2018 included: Platinum Equity’s acquisition of LifeScan for $2.1 billion, Roche’s acquisition of Flatiron Health for $1.9 billion, Inovalon’s acquisition of ABILITY Network for $1.2 billion, Veritas Capital’s acquisition of General Electric’s (GE) Healthcare IT division for $1 billion, and Bestbuy’s acquisition of Greatcall for $800 million.