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Venture capital investments in health care reached $23 billion in 2024, up from $20 billion in 2023, as artificial intelligence took a more firm foothold in the health sector, according to the latest walk. analysis report of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
AI continues to take center stage, particularly in the biopharmaceutical sector, with 30% of healthcare investments in 2024 going to companies leveraging AI, SVB found.
Biopharma AI has booked investments worth more than $5 billion in 2024, figures show. The sector has seen a 300% increase in investment since 2023, surpassing total invested capital by almost $2 billion in 2021.
Investments were largely driven by mega-deals, with deals over $100 million accounting for 71% of total 2024 investment in biopharma AI, according to the report.
“In 2025, we could see a steady but modest increase in the volume and value of investments in various health sectors,” Jackie Spencer said in a statement. Spencer is a relationship management manager for life sciences and healthcare banking at Silicon Valley Bank and an author. of the year Health Sector Investment and Exit Report. “However, despite this growth, IPO activity will likely remain subdued as market conditions continue to stabilize and investors remain cautious.” Advances in AI are poised to revolutionize drug development and clinical trial management, driving efficiency, accuracy and speed in the development of new therapies. at the market.”
WHAT IS THE IMPACT
Among other highlights from the report, funding rounds reached 40% of all deals, as investors look to the future. Among all companies with a seed deal in 2024, 35% are leveraging AI, up from 25% in 2023.
Additionally, valuations saw an increase of 1.5 times the median among rising companies after a declining phase, according to the data.
Investments in Dx/tools are slowly increasing. Liquid biopsy and precision diagnostics companies are showing strength, combining their close relationship with the success of precision therapy with relatively untapped potential in data collection and aggregation, SVB said.
On the device front, hospitals could prove to be the key to reviving a slow device startup space, with new IPOs largely focused on the acute care sector. Advances in imaging and monitoring technologies are restoring some of the lost interest in wearable devices and home care, SVB said.
THE BIGGEST TREND
According to a November Define Ventures survey, more than half of healthcare executives and insurance executives consider artificial intelligence an “immediate priority,” and 73% of organizations said they are increasing their financial commitments to the technology.
The survey reveals that 73% of organizations have established governance structures that can align AI incentives with organizational values.
The main focus areas of these governance committees include identifying and prioritizing use cases (91%), establishing ethics and security guidelines (87%), and defining data policies (84%).
Three-quarters of U.S. healthcare providers and payers increased their IT spending last year, with artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and IT infrastructure among the top areas of investment, according to a study. study by Bain & Company and KLAS Research.
AI adoption is gaining traction, with 15% of providers and 25% of payers reporting having an established AI strategy in 2024, the report said.
Jeff Lagasse is editor-in-chief of Healthcare Finance News.
E-mail: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.