Healthcare’s biggest challenges are becoming its biggest opportunities.
Rising costs, workforce shortages, and clinician burnout are straining the system — all while patient demand continues to climb. At the same time, funding has tightened, with deal volume dropping to a 5-year low. The pressure to deliver real outcomes has never been higher.
At HLTH USA 2025, these challenges took center stage. Industry leaders focused less on hype and more on systemic change: how healthcare is delivered, how it’s paid for, and how technology can help bridge the gaps.
Using CB Insights’ predictive signals and executive commentary from the conference, we identified 3 themes shaping the next wave of healthcare innovation:
- Drug pricing platforms are turning healthcare’s cost crisis into business opportunities
- Infrastructure startups are filling gaps that have kept healthcare AI stuck in pilot programs
- Healthcare is shifting from reactive acute care to proactive chronic disease management
