| Healthcare investing in 2026
Seven years after founding Moxxie Ventures, Katie Jacobs Stanton is still motivated by the enormous unmet needs in healthcare and the potential for AI to make the sector more efficient. "In this world of increasing prices in healthcare and longer timelines to see your doctor, we're seeing this pull of people needing better solutions at the consumer level, doctors needing more time with their patients, hospitals and health systems needing better tools to reduce costs and improve outcomes," she remarked. Below are three of the boxes she needs checked when evaluating whether a healthcare startup is worth backing. Founder with a healthcare background
Generic AI founders without healthcare experience rarely succeed in the space, Stanton noted. She said healthcare startups need founders who have credibility with providers and/or payers, as well as a deep understanding of the healthcare industry and its regulatory and operational complexities. Without that expertise, even technically strong products will fail to gain adoption or navigate the system, Stanton explained. Durability and defensibility
Because AI tools are becoming easy to build, investors have to ask questions like what makes this product unique, why this founder is the right person to solve the problem and whether the solution can survive in the heavily regulated healthcare world, Stanton stated. She believes strong companies combine the following: well-suited founders, differentiators that set them apart from competitors, and true, quantifiable customer demand. Solid distribution strategy
A great product alone isn't enough. Stanton pointed out that startups also need a realistic plan to reach their customers and get the tool into the hands of hospitals, payers or patients. For healthcare AI companies, distribution often means leveraging the leadership team's credibility and networks to navigate the fragmented healthcare landscape and gain traction quickly. Before Moxxie invests, the startup's team needs to convince the firm that they know how to get in front of the right decision-makers and build trust with providers and payers, Stanton said. — By Katie Adams | 
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