Have met over 600 healthcare startups this year at Rainmatter. These are my general observations of the sector in 2024 so far. An investor & health enthusiast perspective. Remember, these are observations and not opinions. If you’re a builder, I'm always keen to exchange notes. 1) Health tech needs maturing – The novelty phase of tech meets health is over and the focus should be on driving outcomes to the user. 2) Preventive health is gaining traction – More startups are focused on preventive solutions. 3) Nutrition personalisation is heating up – Companies are going beyond generic consulting and leveraging DNA, microbiome, or other personal data for nutrition recommendations. 4) UPI for health not yet in India- ABDM use cases haven't seen much adoption. 5) Wearables are no longer the star – Smartwatches and rings are still strong but are considered table stakes. Consumers want something that tells “why” and not limited to “what”. 6) Corporate wellness is an overrated market – With rising mental health issues, stress, and burnout in the workforce, B2B wellness solutions ideally should show promise. But there isn’t adoption from corporates. 7) The “biohacking” trend is niche but growing –longevity startups are speculative but hot. Increasing interest in biohacking protocols (sleep optimization, anti ageing etc.). But the market is niche and often hard to validate scientifically unless clinical protocols are done. 8) Consumer trust in health supplements is dwindling – The supplement industry lacks regulation and transparency and this has eroded trust amongst consumers. Brands are focusing on science-backed products. 9) AI in healthcare – Many are bullish on AI’s potential to revolutionise diagnostics, patient care, and drug discovery, but deployment in clinical settings is slow and capital-intensive. 10) Mental health is booming – Digital mental health startups, especially those offering therapy, coaching, or CBT solutions are seeing adoptions but differentiation is becoming a challenge in a crowded market. 11) Community-driven fitness – Social, community-oriented fitness solutions still have potential if done right especially those blending real-world interactions with digital offerings. 12) CAC is a challenge for D2C health brands – Brands are facing rising customer acquisition costs often with no sustainable GTM. 13) Hybrid health businesses are scaling better – Companies combining digital and physical services have better scope of scaling fast. 14) Telehealth plateaued – The initial excitement around telehealth has subsided for both consumers and investors. 15) Data privacy concerns – As health tech companies gather more sensitive data, concerns about privacy and security will become critical. 16) Health marketplaces have no moat – Platforms connecting consumers with healthcare providers or wellness services are overrated with no clear moat to grow. 17) Clinical validation is key – Companies that can prove clinical efficacy or show robust evidence for their solutions are attracting more interest both from consumers and investors. 18) Wellness is mainstream, but consumers are cynical – Consumers are more wellness-conscious than ever, but they are also more sceptical of unproven claims, forcing brands to lead with science and transparency. 19) Building trust is harder than ever – With consumer scepticism at an all-time high, companies need to prioritise transparency, scientific validation, and clear communication to gain consumer trust, especially in nutrition. 20) Retention over acquisition – CAC have skyrocketed and focus should be on retention. Building loyal, long-term customers by driving outcomes will be key 21) Offline isn’t dead – Post pandemic people are realising that in-person experiences matter more. The winning strategy seems to be a hybrid model that leverages both digital convenience and real-world engagement. 22) Getting clinical validation is expensive but essential – Especially those offering treatments or diagnostics, obtaining clinical trials or peer-reviewed studies is critical for credibility. But the cost and complexity can be daunting. 23) Customer education is a feature – Whether in fitness or nutrition, startups can’t just offer products; they need to educate consumers on why their solution matters. Content marketing and community-building should be the main features. If you’re a builder, I'm always keen to exchange notes. We're always investing and cheering for founders at @Rainmatterin.

🧵 1/12 I went through 2,078 articles on the IPL to figure out a simple question; how did the media cover the IPL, and which players/teams got the most press? This thread's a funny teaser of some of the data I uncovered. Read it at bestofcricket.substack.com/p…

Well done @BCCI . Why send a mail saying tickets will be available at 8pm when you’ve actually marked it as “sold out” at 759pm? As of 758pm the site wasn’t even accessible. You’ve done well at creating an illusion of fair access to tickets. But what a farce!

I read this fantastic article on how chatgpt actually works (considering it doesn't actually crawl through the web). This is explained in simple words using some analogies from the world of Photocopiers and pixelated images. newyorker.com/tech/annals-of…

This is for SaaS & esp India-SaaS but applies more broadly as well. I’ve been investing in India-SaaS since '18 & harping abt this endlessly to anyone who’d listen. I’ll say it again: the age of “business model innovation” in SaaS is over. It’s done. What does this mean? 🧵1/20

Interesting thread

Congratulations to @SmartShip_AM for raising $2.5 Mn in funding from Ideaspring Capital and StartupXseed Ventures. @naganandd @konanuru @Oneeketh

🏆 | Oxford win the men's #BoatRace2022! Congratulations, @OxfordUniBC 👏 🎬 | @BBCSport

On behalf of the entire 100X.VC team, we want to thank all our investors for attending the 1st Annual 100X Investor Summit in Mumbai. Your presence helped to make this event a great success. @Oneeketh #100XInvestorSummit #ThinkBusiness #Think100X #mumbai #event

Aniketh joins Ideaspring Capital as an AVP, Sulesh joins as an Associate and Naresh joins the Finance Team. With each of them having ample experience in their fields, we are excited to have them join us. #Ideas #newhirings #employees #staff #innovation #experience #entrepreneurs

A pair of #Hornbills in Chandivali, #Mumbai. Please help identify if these are Malabar Grey Hornbills or the Indian grey hornbills.

This is a story about how I lost $10,000,000 by doing something stupid. Ten. Million. Dollars. Literally up in smoke. Money bonfire. That’s enough to retire with $250,000 in annual income. Here’s what happened…

This is one thread to bookmark for the ages

THREAD. The best pieces of content from India's Greatest Series win ever. It's still difficult to believe what happened yesterday. #INDvsAUS Will keep adding as I listen, read, watch.

Well said. Because there is so much batting competition around the only way you can break through into the Indian team is through consistent big scores.

What a game last night, and what a story of what could have been!

Gavaskar sir cleared all this. There was no sexist remarks from him.