2022 forecast: Investors will double down on these hot digital health markets

Digital health investment had a blockbuster year in 2021, propelled in large part by the shift to virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first nine months alone brought in a total of $21.3 billion for digital health startups across 541 investment deals, dwarfing the $14.6 billion record of 2020, according to Rock Health, a venture fund dedicated to digital health. That momentum is projected to continue in 2022 as digital health companies lead the way in healthcare innovation with the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and telehealth. RELATED: The digital mental health market is booming. The digital mental health space was growing rapidly even before the COVID-19 pandemic but stress and anxiety brought on by the health crisis have accelerated demand for virtual behavioral health services, including mobile mental health apps. Mental health is the top-funded therapeutic focus so far in 2021 with $3.1 billion raised, according to a recent report by Rock Health, a venture fund dedicated to digital health. There is now a growing crop of digital mental health "unicorns," or privately held startup companies valued at over $1 billion. As digital mental health companies compete in an increasingly crowded space, companies are beginning to differentiate by focusing on complex mental and behavioral health support, including serious mental illness and substance use disorders, according to Rock Health researchers.