Kinnevik’s healthcare companies are well positioned to address the most pressing health concerns of the American public
In a recent American Health Index study by Axios/Ipsos, Americans ranked opioids, obesity and mental health amongst the biggest threats to public health.
In a study of approximately 1,200 U.S. adults, 24% ranked opioids/fentanyl as the top public health concern, whilst 19% said obesity and 17% said mental health. These results are reflective of the rapidly worsening crises in the US across these three health areas.
The Problem
COVID-19 exacerbated several healthcare trends including the growth in mental health and substance use disorders, as well as obesity among others. This resulted in all-time high prevalence rates across all three conditions and put them at the top of the agenda for providers, insurers, politicians, regulators and increasingly, the concerned public.
Unfortunately, too many Americans are suffering from critical illness but face challenges in accessing and affording high-quality healthcare. Putting numbers to this starkly highlights the scale of the problem, which continues to worsen every year:
- Mental health disorders: More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults are living with a mental health illness (58m people)
- Substance use disorders: Today, roughly 15m people struggle with an opioid addiction in the US with almost 1 in 3 Americans saying they or someone in their family has been addicted to opioids at some point
- Obesity: Almost 70% of U.S. adults are clinically overweight or obese (180m people)
The need for healthcare solutions that improve accessibility, affordability and, most crucially, drive better health outcomes for the hundreds of millions of suffering Americans has never been greater.
Kinnevik Portfolio Companies
At Kinnevik, we have been investing in healthcare for a decade, backing the most innovative companies that can deliver the trifecta of a better patient experience, improved healthcare outcomes and an ability to drive sustainable reductions in healthcare costs. Our thematic approach to investing, namely that of focusing on large and growing markets, which are ripe for technological disruption and where stakeholders face the urgency to act, has led to strong financial returns in the past, and led us to invest in three companies that are playing a meaningful role in addressing these exact health concerns.
Spring Health is providing members with precise, personalised mental health care, covering the full acuity spectrum of mental health disorders. Pelago is delivering comprehensive, whole person healthcare for multiple addictions through its virtual clinic for substance use management. Transcarent is offering a Weight Health care programme that incorporates medication alongside lifestyle management, coaching, and surgical care, financially aligned with the payer. Together, the three companies are playing a key part in addressing the biggest threats to U.S. public health today. We could not be prouder and more humbled to back them.
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