#76 Code capital 💰
Also: AI blueprint, room to heal, coffee breath & more.
Think about it 💡
☕ While healthcare VC funding hit a bit of a snooze in the first half of 2025, health tech was wide awake — and caffeinated by AI. Startups in the U.S. and Europe raked in $8.2 billion across 358 deals, marking the best kickoff since early 2022. The secret sauce? Artificial intelligence, especially the kind that tackles the mind-numbing world of healthcare admin. With over 60% of funding tied to AI tools aiming to unclog the industry’s back-office bottlenecks, investors are seeing real potential (and profits). Although the broader market's still sweating over high interest rates and policy shakeups, health tech’s keeping things lively – with two long-awaited IPOs and a flurry of M&A deals signaling there’s plenty of life (and money) left in the space.
🏛️ The White House has unveiled its AI Action Plan to accelerate AI adoption across the U.S., with a special focus on healthcare. Rooted in President Trump’s January 2025 executive order, the plan aims to cut red tape by revising regulations and creating regulatory sandboxes to test AI innovations in sectors like healthcare. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will develop AI standards but will remove references to diversity and climate change from its framework. The plan also promotes open-source AI, limits federal funding to states with heavy AI regulations (likely targeting California), and invests in workforce training with potential tax benefits for employers.
System sizzle 🌶️
…your zoom in on ingenious health systems.
🏥 OhioHealth has successfully implemented smart room technology and virtual nursing to enhance patient care, support clinical staff, and address workforce challenges. These innovations have led to significant improvements, including a drop in nursing turnover from 22.8% to 14.2% in one year, better patient outcomes, and increased staff satisfaction. Smart rooms feature large in-room displays for telemedicine, real-time translation, and personalized patient education, while experienced virtual nurses provide continuous support to bedside staff. Patients have embraced the technology, appreciating the added convenience and involvement of family in care. With smart room data integrated into the Epic EHR and used in predictive models, OhioHealth continues to evolve its system to meet the demands of modern healthcare.
Neat news 🗞️
⚙️ Two leading health systems reveal how they successfully deployed Nabla’s ambient AI to 1,500+ clinicians – practical lessons, real results. Neat.
🔍 The American Hospital Association and Epic teamed up to better detect high-risk childbirth complications. Super neat.
🤝 Talkspace partnered with Tia to integrate mental health services into women’s primary care. Ultra neat.
Clean content 🧼
🗽 At NYC’s Ambient AI Rounds, healthcare leaders explored how AI can finally restore real human connection in medicine.
🍵 From lost co-founders to surprise lawsuits, Nikhil’s healthcare startup diary spills the tea.
💡Inside the nursing strategy that earned MD Anderson a rare Magnet with Distinction.
This is what you came for 🍑
🪥 This Wednesday is Fresh Breath Day and while you’re busy popping mints, science suggests your breath might be doing something far steamier than warding off garlic. According to research, your breath doesn’t just tell people what you had for lunch... it might also be spilling your deepest desires. In a study tracked by researchers at the University of Porto, volunteers watching erotic films showed a real-time surge in volatile chemicals - indole, cresol, and phenol - while CO₂ and isoprene dipped sharply. In short, when turned on, your breath becomes less “coffee breath” and more “I find you very interesting.”
Byeeeee,
🙌 A massive shoutout to the brilliant minds who fueled the Hoagie this week - Emily Olsen, Emma Beavins, Bill Siwicki, Sarah Moors, Heather Landi, Femtech Insider, Nikhil Krishnan, Elizabeth Gregerson.