A report in the Venture Capital Journal thinks so.
Last month Epocrates, which offers one of the most popular medical apps for healthcare professionals, raised about $86 million in an initial public offering. Its stock rose 38 percent in its first day of trading. The success of Epocrates and its large user base of US healthcare professionals -- 45 percent of all practicing physicians in the country use Epocrates' products -- has helped convince investors that mobile apps for the healthcare field may be "the next big investment trend," according to a report in the Venture Capital Journal (VCJ).
“The stars are beginning to align in favor of new companies” Bijan Salehizadeh, general partner at Highland Capital Partners, told VCJ. “It is an extremely robust time for mobile health from a business perspective.”
Salehizadeh told the magazine that healthcare IT for mobile devices is one of the fastest growing categories in venture investing today.
We noticed a slight uptick in investments during 2010 with investors pumping a total of $233 million into companies working in mobile health. That figure included announced deals and those disclosed to the SEC -- there are likely many more undisclosed deals, too. In 2009 we tracked 15 investment deals. In 2011 we have already tracked more than $60 million in funding announcements this quarter.
Here's a list of related coverage for investment trends and announcements in mobile health:
Epocrates founders raise $10.8 million for Doximity
Verizon invests in BL Healthcare’s $2 million venture round
Diabetes mobile health company snags $48 million from investors
Massive Health scoops up $2.25 million to build apps that appreciate patients
Investors pumped $233M into mobile health in 2010
The 15 wireless health VC deals of 2009
Harvard students to launch mHealth incubator
iPhone Exec: Leaving to invest in wireless, medicine start-ups
For more from the VCJ article check out this peHub post (VCJ is subscription only)
