Angel investments in healthcare hit $25.6 billion in 2006, up 10.8 percent from the previous year, according to a new study conducted by a venture research group. Angel investors--private individuals who use their own money to fund startups--are showing a growing level of interest in healthcare services and medical device companies, according to the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire. Healthcare services and medical devices captured a substantial 21 percent of the entire angel investment pool in 2006, followed closely by biotechnology and software, each of which accounted for 18 percent of angel investments that year. Industry observers predict that as the industry goes digital, EMR and other health data ventures are likely to be particularly hot categories for investors.
To learn more about the study:
- read this Center for Venture Research's press release
- read this San Francisco Chronicle article