Global Healthcare Report Q2 2019 by CBInsights

https://techcelerate.ventures
The amount invested in healthcare companies globally rose to $26.9B in H1’19 compared to $26.5B in H1’18. Over the same period, deals increased from 2,223 to 2,258.
About Techcelerate Ventures

Tech Investment and Growth Advisory for Series A in the UK, operating in £150k to £5m investment market, working with #SaaS #FinTech #HealthTech #MarketPlaces and #PropTech companies.
health Digital health venture Fund Deal Select Investor Healthcare Company VC back
https://techcelerate.ventures
The amount invested in healthcare companies globally rose to $26.9B in H1’19 compared to $26.5B in H1’18. Over the same period, deals increased from 2,223 to 2,258.
About Techcelerate Ventures

Tech Investment and Growth Advisory for Series A in the UK, operating in £150k to £5m investment market, working with #SaaS #FinTech #HealthTech #MarketPlaces and #PropTech companies.
health Digital health venture Fund Deal Select Investor Healthcare Company VC back
1
Global Healthcare Report Q2 2019
W HA T I S C B I N S I G H T S ?
CB Insights is a tech market intelligence  
platform that analyzes millions of data  
points on venture capital, startups, patents, 
partnerships, and news mentions to help  
you see tomorrow’s opportunities, today.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
3
T R U S T E D  B Y  T H E  W O R L D ’ S  L E A D I N G  C O M P A N I E S
“We use CB Insights to find emerging trends 
and interesting companies that might signal a shift in 
technology or require us to reallocate resources.”
Beti Cung, Corporate Strategy, Microsoft
October 2-3, 2019
New York, NY
events.cbinsights.com/future-of-health
5
Contents
8
Q2’19 Investment Trends
Quarterly Deals & Dollars
Regional Trends
Q2’19 Top VC-Backed Digital Health Deals
Digital Health Unicorns
66
28
Q2’19 Healthcare Industry Highlights
Clinical Trials
Women’s Health
Cannabis 
AI
Mental Health & Wellness
Genomics
Digital Therapeutics
Appendix: 
Most Active Digital Health Investors Q2’19
Methodology 
6
Hemp/CBD startups take a record 25% of cannabis funding: In Q2'19, 27 (25%) of the 
107 cannabis deals were for startups with a hemp and/or CBD business component. 
That compares to only 11 (15%) of the 73 deals in Q2’18. 
AI in healthcare startups and mental health & wellness startups reach funding highs 
in Q2’19: Healthcare AI companies raised $864M in the second quarter, led by a 
$200M round to Tempus in May. Mental health & wellness companies raised $321M 
across 26 deals, with large rounds going to Quartet and Talkspace.
The application of emerging technologies in genomics is picking up: New platforms 
such as telegenomics and blockchain-enabled networks are becoming more prevalent. 
Digital therapeutics continue to provide new avenues of treatment for chronic 
disease management: This quarter has seen deals going to startups pursuing more 
specific health issues such as joint pain and respiratory disorders.
First Round Capital and Jumpstart Foundry participated in the most digital health 
rounds in Q2’19: Overlapping targets for the top investors included CureFit and 
SigTuple. Other leading digital health investors included Chiratae Ventures, Civilization 
Ventures, and Perceptive Advisers. 
Note: This report focuses on equity rounds to VC-backed healthcare companies. This report does not 
cover companies funded solely by angels, private equity firms, or any debt, secondary, or line of credit 
transactions. All data is sourced from CB Insights.
Summary of findings
H1’19 saw a first half record in both deals and dollars: The amount invested in 
healthcare companies globally rose to $26.9B in H1’19 compared to $26.5B in H1’18. 
Over the same period, deals increased from 2,223 to 2,258.
The second quarter saw funding decline in Asia, North America, and Europe: 
Healthcare funding to Asia-based companies dropped 39% in Q2’19, while North 
America and Europe funding levels were also down. 
Digital health funding is on the rise for the second straight quarter: Total digital 
health funding was $3.5B, up 23% versus Q1’19. There were 371 digital health deals 
compared to 354 in the first quarter.  
Massachusetts takes over as the #2 US state for digital health deals: Massachusetts-
based companies raised 29 rounds in Q2’19, taking over the number 2 spot from New 
York (24) but still far behind California (85 deals). 
There are 38 VC-backed digital health unicorns worth a combined $90.7B: The 
cohort’s total valuation in 2019 continues to grow as a result of continued mega-
rounds to existing unicorns, such as Tempus and Doctolib, among others.
Q2’19 clinical trial deals went to startups expediting patient recruitment and 
enrollment: From recruitment marketplaces to provider tools, we continue to see 
increased offerings for the healthcare industry to revamp this area.
GET ALL THE DATA USED IN THIS REPORT
Clinical Trials Collection
Women’s Health Collection
Cannabis Collection
Artificial Intelligence in 
Healthcare Collection
Mental Health and Wellness 
Collection
Genomics Collection
Digital Therapeutics 
Collection
#AhaCBI
Global 
Healthcare 
Investment 
Trends
9
$31,070
$39,667
$59,538
$26,914
3,322 
3,810 
4,395 
2,258 
2016
2017
2018
2019
Amount ($M)
Deals
Deal count projected to reach all-time high in 2019
Annual global VC-backed healthcare deals and financing, 2016 – Q2’19 ($M) 
G L O B A L  H E A L T H C A R E O N  T H E  R I S E  I N  2 0 1 9
Deal count and funding projections are based on run rate for H2’19.
2019 run rate
4,516
$53,829
10
2019 is off to a record start in deals and dollars 
First half global VC-backed healthcare deals and financing, 2016 – 2019 ($M) 
T H E  F I R S T  H A L F  O F  2 0 1 9  S A W  R E C O R D  H I G H S
$15,342
$19,111
$26,499
$26,914
1,690
1,846
2,223
2,258
H1'16
H1'17
H1'18
H1'19
Amount ($M)
Deals
11
Global healthcare activity near record highs
Quarterly global VC-backed healthcare deals and financing, Q1’16 – Q2’19 ($M) 
H E A L T H C A R E D E A L S  R I S I N G  I N  2 0 1 9
$8,442 
$6,900 
$8,074 
$7,655 
$9,252 
$9,858 
$10,532 
$10,025 
$12,262 
$14,237 
$15,983 
$17,056 
$14,719 
$12,196 
893 
797 
824 
808 
942 
904 
991 
973 
1,016 
1,207 
1,153 
1,019 
1,111 
1,147 
Q1'16
Q2'16
Q3'16
Q4'16
Q1'17
Q2'17
Q3'17
Q4'17
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
Amount ($M)
Deals
12
Asian funding fell 39% quarter-over-quarter
Global VC-backed healthcare funding by continent, Q1’18 – Q2’19, ($M)
Other
Europe
North America
Asia
$8,244
$8,736
$9,805
$14,120
$8,743
$8,280
$2,648
$3,625
$4,652
$1,606
$4,218
$2,570
$1,348
$1,810
$1,483
$1,280
$1,708
$1,198
$23
$65
$39
$49
$49
$148
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
Other category includes Africa, South America, and Australia. 
13
Mixed results for activity across continents
Global VC-backed healthcare deals by continent, Q1’18 – Q2’19 
Note: Charts not to scale
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Q1'16 Q2'16 Q3'16 Q4'16 Q1'17 Q2'17 Q3'17 Q4'17 Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19
North America
Asia
Europe
0
5
10
15
20
25
Q1'16 Q2'16 Q3'16 Q4'16 Q1'17 Q2'17 Q3'17 Q4'17 Q1'18 Q2'18 Q3'18 Q4'18 Q1'19 Q2'19
Africa
Australia
South America
Deals
#AhaCBI
Global Digital 
Health 
Investment 
Highlights
15
Digital health represents 32% of healthcare deals as 
pharma accounts for growing proportion of deal share
* Digital health accounted for 32% of deals in both Q1 and Q2
D I G I T A L  H E A L T H  T A K I N G  A  S M A L L E R  P I E C E  O F  T H E  P I E
63%
37%
2016
64%
36%
2017
67%
33%
2018
68%
32%
2019 YTD*
Digital health
All other healthcare
Annual global healthcare deals, 2016 – Q2’19
16
Digital health activity up for consecutive quarters
Quarterly global VC-backed digital health deals and financing, 2016 – Q2’19 ($M) 
D I G I T A L  H E A L T H  D E A L S  P I C K I N G  U P
$2,685
$2,770
$1,652
$1,983
$2,751
$3,307
$2,102
$2,393
$3,503
$3,629
$4,858
$2,787
$2,843
$3,509
356
288
278
336
342
352
371
321
350
445
391
305
354
371
Q1'16
Q2'16
Q3'16
Q4'16
Q1'17
Q2'17
Q3'17
Q4'17
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
17
Later-stage deal share increasing as space matures
Quarterly global VC-backed digital health deals and financing, 2016 – Q2’19
L A T E R - S T A G E  D E A L S  A R E  H E A T I N G  U P
Later-stage deals defined as Series C or later.
18
North America furthers digital health dominance
Global VC-backed digital health deals by continent, Q1’18 – Q2’19 
Note: Charts not to scale
185
218
199
144
181
195
74
120
99
80
70
74
69
73
76
59
77
78
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
North America
Asia
Europe
2
5
2
5
2
2
4
7
0
0
8
5
0
2
3
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
Africa
Australia
South America
19
Japan, South Korea, and Sweden are among 
emerging countries in digital health
Includes countries with 20+ digital health deals since 2016. 
D I G I T A L  H E A L T H  D E A L  C O U N T  B Y  C O U N T R Y
3 Deals
50+ Deals
Q1'16
Q2'16
Q3'16
Q4'16
Q1'17
Q2'17
Q3'17
Q4'17
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
Australia
5
            
5
            
5
            
7
            
4
            
5
            
4
            
7
            
8
            
4
            
Belgium
3
            
3
            
4
            
3
            
4
            
Brazil
7
            
3
            
4
            
3
            
Canada
4
            
9
            
7
            
8
            
5
            
11
         
12
         
5
            
16
         
12
         
12
         
6
            
13
         
9
            
China
27
         
16
         
17
         
18
         
16
         
16
         
28
         
44
         
29
         
55
         
43
         
42
         
24
         
26
         
Finland
4
            
5
            
3
            
France
4
            
3
            
6
            
9
            
6
            
7
            
12
         
9
            
9
            
9
            
8
            
14
         
13
         
Germany
7
            
4
            
8
            
8
            
7
            
16
         
11
         
7
            
5
            
15
         
9
            
4
            
6
            
India
24
         
14
         
11
         
16
         
14
         
18
         
16
         
11
         
17
         
21
         
18
         
5
            
8
            
18
         
Ireland
4
            
3
            
5
            
4
            
3
            
4
            
Israel
5
            
5
            
3
            
4
            
3
            
4
            
3
            
4
            
8
            
7
            
3
            
4
            
Japan
4
            
4
            
3
            
5
            
8
            
15
         
13
         
11
         
8
            
9
            
Netherlands
3
            
3
            
3
            
3
            
5
            
6
            
4
            
3
            
Russia
4
            
3
            
3
            
3
            
3
            
5
            
3
            
Singapore
3
            
5
            
5
            
6
            
5
            
4
            
South Korea
5
            
4
            
5
            
4
            
4
            
8
            
5
            
11
         
9
            
10
         
12
         
14
         
10
         
Spain
5
            
6
            
5
            
4
            
6
            
3
            
3
            
Sweden
5
            
6
            
4
            
10
         
9
            
12
         
6
            
5
            
13
         
9
            
3
            
9
            
13
         
Switzerland
3
            
3
            
United Kingdom
13
         
7
            
13
         
19
         
20
         
16
         
22
         
19
         
24
         
16
         
20
         
15
         
25
         
17
         
United States
207
       
183
       
177
       
181
       
189
       
196
       
202
       
149
       
169
       
205
       
185
       
136
       
168
       
186
       
20
California deals bounce back after two down quarters
M A S S A C H U S E T T S  O V E R T A K E S  N E W  Y O R K  F O R  T H E  # 2  S P O T
Total Deal Count78
81
63
65
90
78
69
77
71
87
87
47
52
85
19
18
17
38
25
21
34
30
27
31
14
19
18
29
40
22
27
22
24
27
22
25
33
40
20
21
28
24
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Q1'16
Q2'16
Q3'16
Q4'16
Q1'17
Q2'17
Q3'17
Q4'17
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
California
Massachusetts
New York
VC-backed digital health deals by state, Q1’16 – Q2’19 
21
Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina among under-
appreciated digital health hubs
U N I T E D  S T A T E S  O F  D I G I T A L  H E A L T H
Includes unique companies that have raised funding since 2016. Grey indicates states with fewer than 10 startups.
22
U N I T E D  S T A T E S  O F  D I G I T A L  H E A L T H
Includes unique financing rounds completed since 2016.
New York remains hottest metro area for digital health
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Q1'16
Q2'16
Q3'16
Q4'16
Q1'17
Q2'17
Q3'17
Q4'17
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
New York Metro
Silicon Valley
Boston Metro
Los Angeles Metro
Top 4 metro areas for digital health deals, Q1’16 – Q2’19
23
Q2’19: 4 digital health mega-rounds total $609M
Global number of digital health mega-rounds ($100M+), Q1’18 – Q2’19
D I G I T A L  H E A L T H  M E G A - R O U N D S  M A T C H  Q 1 ’ 1 9
3
3
3
3
1
3
2
3
2
1
1
1
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
United States
China
France
India
24
Company
Deal Date // 
Amount Raised
Total Disclosed 
Funding Select Investors
Description
Jun’19 // $205M
$434M DFJ Growth Fund, Founders Fund, G 
Squared, Google Ventures, Maverick 
Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, 
SoftBank Group, Sun Life Financial
Provides employers with an integrated software 
platform that allows them to administer their 
benefits plans, take better care of their people, 
and optimize their investments all in one place
May’19 // $200M
$520M
($3.1B Valuation) 
Baillie Gifford, Franklin Templeton, New 
Enterprise Associates, Novo Holdings, 
Revolution, T. Rowe Price
Gathers and analyzes clinical and molecular data 
at scale for precision medicine
Jun’19 // $104M
$104M Alexandria Venture Investments, ARCH 
Venture Partners, Boxer Capital, Illumina 
Ventures, Jlabs, Menlo Ventures, Venrock
Gene therapy company utilizing genomic 
sequencing for drug discovery
Jun’19 // $100M
$155M Cenova Ventures, IDG Capital, Matrix 
Partners China, Source Code Capital, 
Vision Plus Capital, Welight Capital
Weimai is a platform that provides medical 
services, including online consulting, payment, 
and appointment scheduling
May’19 // $90M
$137M Enern, Goldman Sachs, One Peak 
Partners, Piton Capital, Point Nine 
Capital, RTAventures, Target Global
Platform connecting patients with healthcare 
professionals
Top 10 global digital health deals in Q2’19
4 of the top deals to VC-backed digital health companies were mega-rounds ($100M+)
25
Company
Deal Date // 
Amount Raised
Total Disclosed 
Funding Select Investors
Description
May’19 // $78M
$78M
Leerink Transformation Partners, 
Silversmith Capital Partners
Health analytics company that assesses the 
value of medical technologies
May’19 // $75M
$299M
($520M Valuation)
Accel, Axis Bank, Castle Investments, 
Epiq Capital, HDFC Bank, InnoVen Capital, 
Oaktree Capital, Unilever Ventures
Healthcare and fitness start-up that offers 
products and solutions for preventive and curative 
healthcare, combining engagement, coaching, and 
delivery through online and offline channels
Apr’19 // $74M
$141M Agricultural Bank of China, China Pacific 
Insurance, CITIC Capital, Xiran Capital
Mobile healthcare platform that integrates data 
collection, data analysis, health management 
solutions, health behavioral intervention, and 
value-added services
Jun’19 // $73M
$201M Andreessen Horowitz, Cigna Ventures, 
Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Norwest 
Venture Partners, Sanofi Ventures, 
Wellington Management
Digital behavioral medicine company that helps 
people manage chronic disease
May’19 // $65M
$65M Meraas, Mindset Ventures, Polymath 
Ventures, Refactor Capital, SignalFire
Utilizes wearable technology to monitor, manage, 
and diagnose lifestyle diseases
Top 10 global digital health deals in Q2’19 (cont.)
26
38 HEALTHCARE UNICORNS
$90.7 BILLION
G L O B A L L Y  T H E R E  A R E
V A L U E D ,  I N  A G G R E G A T E ,  A T
27
Switzerland
EUROPE
$3.2B
$1.96B
$1B
$3.5B
NORTH AMERICA
$12B Valuation
$1.8B
$3.1B
$3.2B
$1B
$1B
38 healthcare unicorns valued at $90.7B
Global VC-backed health companies with a private market valuation of $1B+ (7/26/19)
UNITED KINGDOM
$1.5B
MIDDLE EAST
$1B Valuation
ISRAEL
$7B
$1B
$1.2B
$1B
$1.65B
$1.8B
$1.25B
$2.8B
$1B
$1B
$2B Valuation
$1.5B
UNITED STATES
GERMANY
$1.7B
$2.5B
CHINA
ASIA
$3B
$5.5B Valuation
$5B
$2.4B
$2.4B
France
$1.1B
$3.5B
$1.6B
$1B
$1B
$1B
$1B
#AhaCBI
Q2’19 Healthcare 
Industry 
Highlights
29
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
Companies selling AI SaaS to healthcare 
clients or using AI to develop products for 
the healthcare market
Companies that participate in or 
service businesses within the growing 
legal cannabis industry
Startups focused specifically on 
providing healthcare products and 
services to women
Companies working to improve 
clinical trial operations from 
drug R&D, study design, patient 
recruitment, and adherence & 
compliance
Companies applying technology to problems of 
emotional, psychological, and social well-being 
Companies involved in the capture, 
sequencing, and/or analysis of genetic 
data
Tech-enabled out-of-hospital 
solutions that either complement 
or replace standard medical 
treatment for a condition
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
30
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
Clinical Trials Collection
31
Clinical trials tech funding dips below highs
VC-backed deals and financing to clinical trials tech startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$241
$301
$176
$104
$223
$168
21
17
13
8
14
9
 $-
 $50.0
 $100.0
 $150.0
 $200.0
 $250.0
 $300.0
 $350.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
32
Expediting clinical trials through faster patient recruitment 
Q2’19 Funding: $2.57M Series A 
Investor: One Way Ventures
UK-based Citruslabs develops an end-to-end solution for 
clinical trials – specifically with patient recruitment and 
retention. It operates a health-app network with pre-
screened candidates, facilitating a faster process for study 
investigators. It has partnerships with NYU, the UK’s NHS, 
and the University of Glasgow.
Its mobile app, called 
MindMate, is specifically 
for the baby boomer 
generation in order to 
increase their 
participation in clinical 
trials. 
It offers content around 
their daily routine such as 
physical exercises, 
nutrition, and brain 
games. Pre-screening is 
also done through the 
app.
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  F A S T E R  P A T I E N T  R E C R U I T M E N T
33
SubjectWell provides patient recruitment services 
for trial sites, pharmaceutical companies, and 
clinical research organizations (CROs). It works to 
accelerate patient enrollment for trials through its 
marketplace of potential patients.
It provides this service through education 
campaigns and telephone-based prescreening. 
Clients pay for this service only when patients 
randomize into trials.
Select investors
Geekdom Fund, Healthy Ventures, Windham Venture 
Partners
Q2’19 Funding 
$10M Series A
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  A  P A T I E N T  R E C R U I T M E N T  M A R K E T P L A C E
34
Bringing more options directly to providers or study sponsors
Q2’19 funding: $20M Series C 
Select investors: Hatteras Venture Partners, Noro-Moseley 
Partners, Piper Jaffray
Elligo Health Research develops software that physicians and 
study sponsors can use to bring clinical research to eligible 
patients faster, using EHR-connected data. It also aims to 
make this platform available to more local physicians in order 
to cater to a wider population of patients.
Q2’19 funding: $14M Series A
Select investors: Sierra Ventures, Northpond Ventures, 
Tamarind Hill
Deep Lens uses an AI-based digital pathology platform –
known as Deep Lens VIPER – to help care teams find and 
recruit eligible patients for clinical trials. Its goal is to identify 
them at the time of diagnosis, which differs from the traditional 
method of patient recruitment. 
EHR DATA
PATHOLOGY
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  G I V I N G  P R O V I D E R S  M O R E  O P T I O N S
35
Women’s Health Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
36
Women’s health deals continue strong in 2019
VC-backed deals and financing to women’s health startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$43
$129
$445
$97
$311
$284
22
37
42
27
41
33
 $-
 $50.0
 $100.0
 $150.0
 $200.0
 $250.0
 $300.0
 $350.0
 $400.0
 $450.0
 $500.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
 Amount ($M)
Deals
37
Disrupting traditional fertility services with tech-enabled platforms
Q2’19 funding: $15M Series A 
Select investors: RRE Ventures, Green D Ventures, Trail Mix 
Ventures
Kindbody provides fertility services such as egg freezing 
and IVF (in-vitro fertilization) along with an emphasis on 
wellness. It offers an accessible pricing structure and a 
tech layer.
Q2’19 funding: $12M Series A
Select investors: Dubin & Co., Special Situations Funds
TMRW is a robotic cryo-management platform for IVF. It aims 
to use robotic process automation (RPA) for reducing risk of 
misdirected eggs/embryos while also automating 
environmental health checks for these stored cells.
Fertility + wellness
Fertility cryostorage
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  F E R T I L I T Y  S E R V I C E S
38
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  ( C O N T ’ D )  A C C E S S I B L E  F E R T I L I T Y  T E S T S  C U T  O U T  E X P E N S I V E  C L I N I C  
V I S I T S
Modern Fertility develops a fertility hormone test that 
measures women’s AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone) 
levels – a hormone marker for measuring ovarian 
reserve. Aside from AMH, it also measures other 
hormone levels to provide a more comprehensive 
window into their fertility.
It has also added a Timeline Tool, which allows users 
to customize their individual plans for having kids. The 
platform provides a fertility score (FEMI beta) based 
on their age, hormone levels, and health information 
that they can keep track of over time.
Select investors
Forerunner Ventures, Y Combinator, First Round Capital, 
BoxGroup, Union Square Ventures
Q2’19 funding 
$15M Series A
39
Maternal care gets a makeover with connected devices
Q2’19 funding: $42M Series B round
Select investors: Impact Ventures UK, IPGL, 
Octopus Ventures
Focus: UK-based Elvie develops smart devices 
connected to mobile apps for new mothers. Its 
wearable breast pump launched in Sept 2018. 
Elvie also develops a Kegel trainer for 
weakened pelvic floor muscles.
Q2’19 funding: $70K seed round
Select investors: Sustainable Health Initiative
Focus: India-based JioVio provides maternal 
care through its IoT devices combined with 
telemedicine software. The company currently 
offers 6 products that target different aspects 
of navigating maternal and child care along 
with general health.
Q2’19 funding: $2.48M financing round
Select investors: Undisclosed
Focus: Raydiant Oximetry develops diagnostics 
technology to improve fetal monitoring during 
pregnancy in order to provide more care and 
support. It received an FDA Breakthrough 
Device status in October 2018 for this 
noninvasive technology that monitors the 
baby’s oxygenation.
FETAL MONITORING
BREASTFEEDING
PREGNANCY TRACKERS
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  M A T E R N A L  C A R E
40
The direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy makes a 
splash in women’s health
D2C telehealth company Ro recently launched its women’s health brand – called Rory – which 
targets solutions for women experiencing menopause. It aims to provide products that address 
specific symptoms associated with menopause such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes. 
Q2’19 Funding: $85M Series B round
Investors: Undisclosed
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  D 2 C  H E A L T H
41
Cannabis Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
42
Cannabis deals and dollars near record in Q2’19
VC-backed deals and financing to cannabis startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$456
$271
$610
$1,297
$666
$1,026
84
73
96
128
105
107
 $(100.0)
 $100.0
 $300.0
 $500.0
 $700.0
 $900.0
 $1,100.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
43
Hemp and CBD startups are becoming a larger 
portion of cannabis deal flow 
% of equity deal count by quarter, Q1’14 – Q2’19
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  H E M P  &  C B D
Other cannabis 
startups
Hemp/CBD 
startups
5%
8%
12%
17%
8%
9%
9%
16%
18%
8%
7%
8%
10%
15%
13%
14%
23%
25%
100% 95%
92%
88%
83%
92%
91%
97%
91%
84%
97%
98%
82%
92%
93%
92%
90%
85%
87%
86%
77%
75%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
44
Illinois became the 11th state to legalize cannabis
By 2023, its cannabis market could be 9x its current size, making it the 5th largest in the US ($1.3B). We expect to 
see continued consolidation as large cannabis companies enter the Illinois market. 
2022 cannabis market size estimates 
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  L E G A L I Z A T I O N
45
PAX provides internet-connected 
vaporizers that allow users to track 
potency of consumed cannabis.
Q2’19 Series E: $420M
Round investors: Tao Capital Partners, 
Tiger Global Management, Redmile
Group, Prescott General Partners 
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  P A X  R A I S E S  A  M E G A - R O U N D
Total Funding
$545M
Valuation
$1.7B
SIMILAR COMPANIES
$3.5M 
raised
$72.0M
N/A
46
Artificial Intelligence in 
Healthcare Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
47
AI in healthcare funding reaches a high in Q2
VC-backed deals and financing to healthcare AI startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$544
$764
$696
$517
$579
$864
54
81
57
52
78
75
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
 $-
 $100.0
 $200.0
 $300.0
 $400.0
 $500.0
 $600.0
 $700.0
 $800.0
 $900.0
 $1,000.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
 Amount ($M)
Deals
48
Company
Deal Date // 
Amount Raised
Total Disclosed 
Funding Select Investors
Description
May’19 // $200M
$520M
Franklin Templeton Investments, New 
Enterprise Associates, Novo Holdings, 
Revolution
Gathers and analyzes clinical and molecular 
data at scale for precision medicine
Jun’19 // $76M
$130M ARCH Venture Partners, 
Google Ventures, Johnson & Johnson 
Innovation, Scripps Research Institute 
Neurobehavioral health company using AI 
technologies to develop targeted therapeutics 
for treating brain disorders
Jun’19 // $67M
$67M Data Collective, Deerfield 
Management, 
DROIA Oncology Ventures, 
MPM Capital, RA Capital Management
AI platform that integrates advanced 
computational approaches and machine 
learning to develop medicines for disease-
causing proteins
Apr’19 // $60M
$94M
8VC, DHVC, General Atlantic, General 
Catalyst, KdT Ventures, Pillar, 
and Refactor Capital
AI-powered research tools and services for 
pathology
May’19 // $53M
$74M Shumway Capital
Machine Learning-based platform to identify 
microbial agents
Top rounds to healthcare AI startups, Q2’19
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  B I O T E C H  A I  S T A R T U P S  D O M I N A T E  T O P  R O U N D S
49
Siemens, GE, Philips among top patent applicants
Source: CB Insights patent analytics, based on keyword searches of title and abstract. Date reflected is patent filing date. Patterned column(s) may show a 
decline due to a delay between patent filing and publication.
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  H E A L T H C A R E  A I  P A T E N T S  H E A T  U P
50
More money is flowing to medical image processing
Q2’19 Funding: $60M Series B
Select Investors: 8VC, DHVC, General 
Atlantic, General Catalyst, KdT Ventures, 
Pillar, Refactor Capital
Focus: PathAI provides AI-powered 
research tools and services for pathology. 
PathAI's platform promises substantial 
improvements to the accuracy of diagnosis 
and the efficacy of treatment of diseases 
like cancer, leveraging modern approaches 
in machine and deep learning.
Q2’19 Funding: $16M Series C, $1.6M 
Series C - II 
Select Investors: Accel, Chiratae Ventures, 
pi Ventures, Smilegate Investment, Trifecta 
Capital, Trusted Insight
Focus: SigTuple uses artificial intelligence 
to develop hardware and software products 
to digitize pathology test results for 
hospitals and clinics.
Q2’19 Funding: $5.2M Series A
Select Investors: Kickstart Ventures, Philips, 
UOB Venture Management
Focus: Lifetrack Medical Systems is a 
teleradiology startup that makes it easy to 
interpret radiology readings for medical 
diagnosis. The company's radiology software 
platform pairs hospital residents with 
experienced radiologists who help evaluate 
medical images and send their reports.
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  A I  I S  G O I N G  A F T E R  R A D I O L O G Y  A N D  P A T H O L O G Y
51
Mental Health and Wellness 
Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
52
Mental health & wellness funding sets quarterly record
VC-backed deals and financing to mental health & wellness startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$170
$227
$74
$94
$202
$321
26
25
23
18
22
26
 $-
 $50.0
 $100.0
 $150.0
 $200.0
 $250.0
 $300.0
 $350.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
53
IBM, WellDoc among top patent applicants
Source: CB Insights patent analytics, based on keyword searches of title and abstract. Date reflected is patent filing date. Patterned column(s) may show a decline 
due to a delay between patent filing and publication.
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  M E N T A L  A N D  B E H A V I O R A L  P A T E N T S  A R E  O N  T H E  R I S E
54
Top investors are flocking towards mental and behavioral health
Q2’19 Funding: $60M Series D 
Select Investors: Centene, F-Prime, Google 
Ventures, Oak HC/FT, Polaris Partners
Focus: Quartet Health is a behavioral 
health technology company that has 
developed a suite of products to increase 
access to behavioral health resources. The 
company hopes to lower costs by aligning 
payers, behavioral health clinicians, 
medical providers, and patients. 
Q2’19 Funding: $9M Series A
Select Investors: Afore Capital, Jared Leto, 
Kleiner Perkins, Y Combinator 
Focus: Modern Health is a mental health 
benefits platform for employers. The 
company covers the full spectrum of mental 
well-being needs through both evidence-
based technology and professional support 
from a coach or therapist. 
Q2’19 Funding: $50M Series D
Select Investors: Compound, Norwest Venture 
Partners, Revolution, Spark Capital
Focus: Talkspace is a telebehavioral
healthcare company. Its psychotherapy 
product connects individual users with a 
network of licensed therapists through a 
HIPAA-compliant web and mobile platform. 
Users can send therapists unlimited text, 
video, picture, and audio messages. 
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  M E N T A L  A N D  B E H A V I O R A L  H E A L T H  G O E S  V I R T U A L
55
Vida Health’s $30M raise includes partnerships with 
Teladoc, Guidewell, and Workday
Last Funding 
$30M Series C  // Q2’19
Total Funding
$53M
+
Vida Health offers systems for managing both 
behavioral and physical chronic health conditions. 
Vida’s systems include digital therapeutics, digital 
communication with live coaches, and remote 
monitoring devices. 
Select Investors
Aspect Ventures, Canvas Ventures, Guidewell, NGP Capital, 
Teladoc Health, Workday Ventures, Khosla Ventures
Bundled solutions for virtual and chronic care offerings
Adding Florida Blue as customer + focusing on comorbidities
Single sign-on integration between Vida and the Workday system
+
+
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  P A R T N E R S H I P S  A L O N G  W I T H  F I N A N C I N G S  D R I V E  A D O P T I O N
56
Genomics Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
57
Genomics deals see slight dip in Q2’19
VC-backed deals and financing to genomics startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$989
$637
$1,132
$421
$748
$638
45
44
59
47
54
48
 $-
 $200.0
 $400.0
 $600.0
 $800.0
 $1,000.0
 $1,200.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
58
AI & blockchain applications begin to rise in genomics 
Q2’19 funding: $16.8M Series A
Select investors: Korea Asset Investment Securities Co., 
Altos Ventures, Saehan Venture Capital
Focus: South Korea-based Syntekabio leverages genomics, 
AI, and computational biology for drug discovery and 
development. One of its key products includes a “tiny genes” 
test, which is a gene panel kit for detecting neonatal genetic 
disorders.
Q2’19 funding: $4.6M Series B
Select investors: ARCH Ventures Partners, Bain Capital 
Ventures, F-Prime Capital
Focus: Luna DNA develops a genomic database where 
individuals can share their respective genomic information on 
its decentralized blockchain network. By doing so, users can 
earn Luna Coins, which represent shares of ownership.
A R T I F I C I A L  I N T E L L I G E N C E
B L O C K C H A I N
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  E M E R G I N G  T E C H  I N  G E N O M I C S
59
Genomic medicine becomes more widely accessible
Telegenomics company Genome Medical aims to make genomic medicine more accessible for individuals and for healthcare 
stakeholders (health systems, providers, and employers). For instance, it allows patients to schedule virtual consultations 
and for providers to seek out genetic expertise through the platform. 
Q2’19 funding: $23M Series B round
Select investors: Canaan Partners, Casdin Capital, Illumina Ventures, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, GE Ventures
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  T E L E G E N O M I C S
60
Tempus develops an AI-enabled precision medicine 
software based on its collection and analysis of 
clinical and molecular data. 
It uses sequencing technology to get in-depth 
molecular and genomic data to help identify the right 
treatments or clinical trials for patients. 
Other unstructured data sets are also used to deliver 
treatment options and additional insights.  
Select investors
New Enterprise Associates, Novo Holdings, Revolution, 
Baillie Gifford & Co.
Q2’19 funding 
$200M Series F
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  G E N O M I C S  F O R  P R E C I S I O N  M E D I C I N E
61
Digital Therapeutics 
Collection
DIGITAL 
THERAPEUTICS
WOMEN’S 
HEALTH
AI
CANNABIS
GENOMICS
CLINICAL 
TRIALS
HEALTHCARE Q2 2019
MENTAL 
HEALTH AND 
WELLNESS
GLOBAL HEALTHCARE REPORT Q2’19
62
Digital therapeutics deals bounce back in Q2’19
VC-backed deals and financing to digital therapeutics startups, Q1’18 – Q2’19 ($M)
$145
$278
$295
$100
$107
$293
12
15
21
9
11
22
 $-
 $50.0
 $100.0
 $150.0
 $200.0
 $250.0
 $300.0
 $350.0
Q1'18
Q2'18
Q3'18
Q4'18
Q1'19
Q2'19
63
Chronic disease management through digital therapeutics
Q2’19 funding: $30M Series C 
Select investors: Aspect Ventures, Teladoc Health, NGP 
Capital
Vida develops personalized evidence-based programs that 
cater to various health conditions. It uses mobile apps, devices, 
coaching, and personalized content to drive behavioral 
changes. It offers both individual & enterprise plans.
Q2’19 funding: $35M Series B
Select investors: Sequoia India, MassMutual Ventures, EDBI
Biofourmis develops a connected platform using software and 
medical sensors in order to monitor a patient’s health and 
predict potential issues that may arise. It works with payers, 
providers, biopharmaceutical, and the med tech industries. 
Targeting behavioral changes
Predicting health problems
H I G H L I G H T  # 1  D I G I T A L  T H E R A P E U T I C S  T A R G E T  C H R O N I C  D I S E A S E S
64
New applications of emerging technologies in digital therapies
Q2’19 funding: $8.94M Series A 
Select investors: Sabadell Asset Management, Smartech Capital, 
Caixa Capital Risc
Spain-based Psious develops VR-based digital treatments for 
behavioral & mental health issues. It aims to create more than 70+ 
therapeutic environments that treat everything from eating 
disorders to ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Q2’19 funding: $16M Series A
Select investors: M Ventures, MP Healthcare Venture Management, 
PureTech Health
Spun out of PureTech Health, Sonde Health uses voice-based 
technology to monitor and diagnose health conditions. Using voice 
as a biomarker for analyzing brain, muscle, and health 
measurements, the company intends to focus on neurological, 
respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases.   
V I R T U A L  R E A L I T Y  ( V R )
V O I C E  T E C H
H I G H L I G H T  # 2  N O V E L  T E C H N O L O G I E S  A R E  C O M I N G  T O  D I G I T A L  T H E R A P E U T I C S
65
Q2’19 funding: $3M Series A
Investors: Industrifonden, Investment 
Spiltan
Focus: Sweden-based NuvoAir develops a 
respiratory diagnostic tool (portable 
spirometer) connected to a mobile app that 
tracks lung health.
Q2’19 funding: $21M Series C
Investors: Khosla Ventures, Rethink Impact, 
Dai-ichi Life Insurance
Focus: Neurotrack Technologies develops 
digital products for cognitive health, 
including one for those diagnosed with 
Alzheimer’s Disease. 
MUSCULOSKELETAL
Q2’19 funding: $8M Series A 
Investor: Khosla Ventures
Focus: SWORD Health develops “a digital 
therapist” platform for treating 
musculoskeletal disorders. It combines this 
with real physical therapists and a clinical 
team for a comprehensive level of care. 
NEUROLOGICAL
RESPIRATORY
Digital therapeutics are spreading to more therapeutic areas
H I G H L I G H T  # 3  M O R E  H E A L T H  I N D I C A T I O N S  A R E  B E I N G  P U R S U E D
#AhaCBI
Most Active 
Digital Health 
Investors
67
The most active digital health VCs in Q2’19
By unique digital health company investments (new or follow-on) 
Rank
Investor
Select Digital Health Investments
1
1
2
2
2
68
Rank
Investor
Select Digital Health Investments
2
2
2
2
By unique digital health company investments (new or follow-on) 
The most active digital health VCs in Q2’19
* Funded by Illumina’s accelerator
*
69
Methodology
CB Insights encourages you to review the methodology and definitions employed to better understand the numbers presented in this
report. If you have any questions about the definitions or methodological principles used, we encourage you to reach out to CB Insights 
directly. Additionally, if you feel your firm has been under-represented, please send an email to info@cbinsights.com and we can work 
together to ensure your firm’s investment data is up to date.
What is included:
What is excluded:
― Equity financings into emerging healthcare companies. Fundings must be put into VC-backed 
companies, which are defined as companies who have received funding at any point from 
venture capital firms, corporate venture groups, or super angel investors.
― Fundings of only private companies. Funding rounds raised by public companies of any kind 
on any exchange (including Pink Sheets) are excluded from our numbers, even if they received 
investment by a venture firm(s). 
― Only includes the investment made in the quarter for tranched investments. If a company 
does a second closing of its Series B round for $5M and previously had closed $2M in a prior 
quarter, only the $5M is reflected in our results.
― Round numbers reflect what has closed — not what is intended. If a company indicates the 
closing of $5M out of a desired raise of $15M, our numbers reflect only the amount which has 
closed.
― Only verifiable fundings are included. Fundings are verified via various federal and state 
regulatory filings, direct confirmation with firm or investor, or press release.
― For the purposes of this report, digital health is defined as companies in the healthcare space 
that use technology/software as a key differentiator vs. their competition. This includes 
everything from disease diagnostics and management, health insurance built on a new tech 
infrastructure, to AI tools for drug discovery, and more.
― Categories are not mutually exclusive (for example, a company that applies AI to genomics 
would be included in both categories). Criteria for categories can be found on page 29.
— No contingent funding. If a company receives a commitment for $20M subject to hitting certain 
milestones but first gets $8M, only the $8M is included in our data.
— No business development/R&D arrangements, whether transferable into equity now, later, or never. 
If a company signs a $300M R&D partnership with a larger corporation, this is not equity financing, 
nor is it from a venture capital firm. As a result, it is not included.
— No buyouts, consolidations, and/or recapitalizations. All three of these transaction types are 
commonly employed by private equity firms and are tracked by CB Insights. However, they are 
excluded for the purposes of this report.
— No private placements. These investments, also known as PIPEs (Private Investment in Public 
Equities), are excluded even if made by a venture capital firm(s).
— No debt/loans of any kind (except convertible notes). Venture debt or any kind of debt/loan issued 
to emerging startup companies, even if included as an additional part of an equity financing, is not 
included. If a company receives $3M with $2M from venture investors and $1M in debt, only the 
$2M is included.
— No government funding. Grants, loans, or equity financings by the federal government, state 
agencies, or public-private partnerships to emerging startup companies are not included.
The CB Insights platform 
has the underlying data  
included in this report
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE
W H E R E  I S  A L L  T H I S  D A T A  F R O M ?