So what? In contrast to its early incorporation of ECG capabilities, Apple is a fast-follower to Fitbit and Withings when it comes to blood oxygen sensors. Apple adds blood oxygen to a growing list of healthcare features offered by the watch, including the ECG app and fall detection feature. Apple has launched three clinical studies to validate its latest feature. The studies span relevant therapeutic areas, from asthma to heart failure to early detection of infectious respiratory conditions (e.g., flu, COVID-19). The asthma study even involves a collaboration with Anthem, and aims to determine if the Apple Watch could improve disease management and reduce emergency hospitalizations. In addition to the watch, Apple continues to make headlines with its increasing healthcare activity, including a national health initiative partnership with Singapore and an expanded partnership with the VA to increase telehealth access for veterans.

TLDR: Sharecare’s virtual health platform allows its users to manage their healthcare and digital health tools from one place. Sharecare has developed content on many health topics, curated in collaboration with leading healthcare providers and academic institutions. Through its latest partnership with Amazon, Sharecare will integrate its library of over 80,000 health Q&As into the Alexa voice service, adding to the repertoire of health information offered by the virtual assistant. 

So what? Amazon Alexa has been launching medical skills since it gained HIPAA compliance last year, allowing the voice assistant to securely transmit and receive health data. Experts estimate that >19 million people in the U.S. use voice assistants to answer questions related to their health, and >25% of Americans (~80 million people) own a smart speaker. Amazon Alexa offers the installed base to distribute health information while also capturing de-identified data around users’ health journeys, potentially leading to the discovery of vocal biomarkers for disease detection. Looking forward, Amazon’s potential to discover vocal or combined vocal-digital biomarkers is further bolstered by its Halo wearable and service, announced last month. 

So what? This year’s numbers are quickly catching up to 2019’s digital health IPO boom, in which five companies went public. A few notable digital health players are also preparing for IPOs in the coming months, including GoodRx, Hims & Hers, MDLive and Oscar Health. Among them, GoodRx is uniquely positioned as one of the only digital health companies going public that is currently profitable, with some IPO estimates near $1B. The sustained wave of digital health startups seeking IPOs suggests a maturing marketplace in the midst of a pandemic that continues to expose flaws in the healthcare system.