Healthtech and edtech are two of the fastest growing sectors, with the healthtech market size to reach $3.1 billion by 2033, while the global education technology market size is projected to reach $348.41 billion by 2030.
Each week will do a roundup of the top news, fundings, and IPOs from these two sectors.
Top News
- The Cigna Group disclosed plans to exit the individual health insurance business under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, leaving about 369,00 health plan members in 11 states looking for new coverage in 2027
- Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona Division partnered with the University of California San Diego through the signing of an education partnership agreement that will enable Navy scientists and engineers at NSWC Corona to collaborate with students and faculty at UC San Diego’s renowned Jacobs School of Engineering, working together to solve complex naval problems with innovative engineering solutions
AI News
- Google Cloud and CVC partnered to accelerate the adoption of AI technology among CVC portfolio companies across industries including retail, healthcare, financial services, media and entertainment, software, telecommunications, and industrials
- Functional Brands, a developer of wellness and performance products, partnered with partnrup.ai, a next-generation artificial intelligence platform purpose-built to support and improve partner-driven customer acquisition, to deploy partnrup.ai’s full technology stack on behalf of Tru2u.health, a digital health platform dedicated to helping individuals achieve their health goals through medication-based treatment, clean supplementation and clinically guided wellness solutions
- A Mayo Clinic-developed artificial intelligence model found that it help specialists detect pancreatic cancer on routine abdominal CT scans up to three years before clinical diagnosis. It identifies subtle signs of disease before tumors are visible, when curative treatment may still be possible
- Hippocratic AI announced Polaris 5.0, the latest generation of its healthcare-specialized AI, which leads on the dimensions that determine whether voice AI can be deployed in real care settings: clinical accuracy, HIPAA and regulatory compliance, empathy in patient interaction, and consistency across complex, multi-step conversations
- Seoul National University partnered with Microsoft to launch a Korean-language AI literacy learning and certification program, offered at no cost, for educators and changemakers
- Carnegie Mellon University, Drexel University, Lehigh University, the Pennsylvania State University, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania and University of Pittsburgh partnered with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Team Pennsylvania to launch the Keystone AI + Quantum Factory, a statewide innovation network leveraging AI and quantum computing to translate university research into practical solutions for Pennsylvania’s key industries
- Google Cloud and CVC partnered to accelerate the adoption of AI technology among CVC portfolio companies across industries including retail, healthcare, financial services, media and entertainment, software, telecommunications, and industrials
- Classover, an AI-powered education company, partnered with ICreate Education Technology, an AI education robotics company, to explore the co-development of hands-on AI and robotics learning environments across North America
Mental health
- A tech industry group filed a lawsuit challenging a Minnesota law that requires social media companies to start showing users health warning labels on their sites
- In letters to the co-chairs of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, the Congressional Digital Health Caucus, and the Senate Artificial Intelligence Caucus, the American Medical Association recognized Congress for advancing conversations about AI’s role in society and mental health. At the same time, the AMA warned that the rapid rise of mental health chatbots—along with reports of risks such as encouraging self-harm and privacy breaches—highlights the urgent need for clear guardrails to protect patients and maintain public trust
- Spring Health, a global mental health company built on one AI-native platform, closed its acquisition of Alma, a membership-based platform that helps independent mental health clinicians accept insurance and build thriving private practices
- MintNeuro, a provider of low-power semiconductor technology for neural implant applications, and Motif Neurotech, a therapeutic brain-computer interface company developing miniature implants for mental health, partnered to unite MintNeuro’s specialised neural interface chip technology with Motif’s clinical-stage therapeutic implant platform – accelerating the clinical availability of therapeutic BCIs for mental health conditions
Really big financings:
Healthtech:
- Aidoc, a provider of clinical AI, raised $150 million in Series E funding led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives. The round had participation from General Catalyst, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and NVentures
- Coultreon Biopharma, a biotechnology company developing therapies in immunology, raised a $125 million Series A financing round led by Sofinnova Investments with Forbion and Novo Holdings as co-leads, joined by Galapagos, Regeneron Ventures, Balyasny Asset Management, Luma Group, Samsara BioCapital, Longwood Fund and Finchley Healthcare Ventures
Big financings:
Healthtech:
- Iterative Health, a healthcare technology and services company powering the acceleration of clinical research, raised a $77 million Series C financing round. The round was led by Intrepid Growth Partners and GV, joined by new investors EDBI and a prominent family office, and participation from existing investors such as Insight Partners and Obvious Ventures
- Axoft, a neurotechnology company, raised a $55 million Series A led by C.P. Group Innovation. Alumni Ventures, the Stanford President’s Venture Fund, Hillhouse Investment and Gaorong Ventures also participated in the round
- EnteroBiotix, a biopharmaceutical company developing microbiome therapies for gut health, raised $25 million financing led by Thairm Bio and the Scottish National Investment Bank, with participation from new and existing investors
- Hypervision Surgical, a provider of real-time hyperspectral imaging for surgery, raised a £17 million Series A round led by Heal Capital with participation from Angelini Ventures, IP Group, and Daycrest
- SquareMind, an AI and robotics company developing solutions for dermatology, raised $18 million in a funding round led by Sonder Capital, with participation by the Deeptech 2030 Fund, Adamed Technology, Calm/Storm Ventures, Teampact Ventures, and several prominent entrepreneurs
- Photon, an end-to-end prescription infrastructure built for modern healthcare, raised a $16 million Series A round led by Healthier Capital, with participation from Notation, Flare Capital, and Evidenced
- Techcyte, a provider of AI-powered digital diagnostics for anatomic and clinical pathology, raised a $15 million round led by Van Tuyl Companies, with participation from existing investors Zoetis and Mayo Clinic
- Patronus, an elderly care startup developing a mobile emergency smartwatch and a family app, raised an €11 million funding round led by 3TS Capital Partners, with participation from Grazia Equity and existing investors Singular, Burda Principal Investments, Adjacent, NAP, and UVC Partners
Not so big financings:
Healthtech:
- PlaqueTec, a medtech company pioneering intracoronary liquid biopsy to identify inflammatory drivers of cardiovascular disease, raised $5 million from its existing investor base
- Illuminant Surgical, a precision access and visualization company transforming how doctors see and navigate the human body, raised $8.4 million in seed funding in a round led by Wing 2 Wing Ventures, alongside investment from the National Science Foundation, National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Aging, Elderberry Ventures, Soma Capital, DRF, and other venture partners
- dehaze, which provides healthcare services by bringing medical AI models into clinical practice, raised €3.2 million in a seed funding led by YZR Capital and DN Capital, with participation from Angel Invest, Zoho, and Better Ventures
- DEPTH Health, a provider of personalized, clinically guided, and AI-driven patient flow optimization, raised a $1 million seed funding round from Green Harvest Capital Industries
Edtech:
- StudentCrowd, an online platform that enables students to share reviews on accommodation and courses, raised £7 million in a funding round led by YFM Equity Partners and backed by the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, through fund manager Mercia Ventures
- Third Space Learning, an AI tutoring and education technology company, raised £4.4 million in equity investment from new investors British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund and Blackfinch Ventures, with the ongoing support of Foresight Group and Nesta
Policy and government
- President Trump withdrew the nomination of Dr. Casey Means, his pick for surgeon general, whose confirmation was stalled amid opposition, including from some Republicans, over her views on vaccines and her unconventional approach to medicine. In a social media post on Thursday, Mr. Trump announced a new nominee: Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, a radiologist who has a wellness podcast and has appeared frequently on Fox News. She is the director of breast imaging at MSK Monmouth in New Jersey, a branch of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan
- The second-largest school district in the country will scale back classroom screen use under a resolution the Los Angeles Board of Education has approved unanimously. The resolution requires the district to develop a screen time policy for implementation in the 2026-27 school year. It should include maximum in-school screen time limits by grade level, eliminating student use of digital devices for early education through 1st grade, and prohibiting student-led use of YouTube or other video streaming platforms
Random news
- The owner of Stark Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Services is using his social media to take viewers through his business, educating them on the funeral process but also keeping the subject light and funny with what he calls “breaking the death silence.” The videos show him doing a red carpet walk with urns in his “FashUrn” Show: Where Style Meets Sanctuary,” while other videos are more serious, taking viewers behind the scenes, pulling back the curtain on how a funeral service business operates
