Scalable Business Models in Digital Healthy Longevity: Lessons from Top-Funded Digital Health Companies in 2022

Abstract

Digital health companies can address significant healthcare challenges and mitigate the demographic impact on the health system. Healthcare value delivery becomes increasingly complex based on multiple health problems, different treatment methods and payment schemes, various care methods, and payment schemes; therefore, scaling up a healthcare solution is not trivial, especially for new companies. To explore the business models of the top-funded digital health companies and analyze the respective scalable element of their value creation and delivery processes, this study systematically used venture databases and a business model framework to describe top-funded companies. Then, we performed literature and desk research to specify which business model elements helped them scale up. As a result, we identified ten top-funded companies in the field; our main findings suggest that these companies scaled up by developing a platform for a wide range of users, in contrast to specific demography and disease. We recommend that new digital companies in healthy longevity prioritize employers in customer acquisition and align incentives between patients and payers with the help of digital health data to improve transparency on return on investment.