Health
Health: the closure stories and lessons of 18 startups.
18 startups
Vicarious Surgical
A surgical robot steered through virtual reality: valued at USD 1.1 billion, it never won FDA clearance
Closed2010 – 2024Cue Health
A home molecular COVID test took it public at USD 2.3 billion; when demand ended it liquidated in 2024
Closed2016 – 2024Forward
A subscription clinic from an ex-Google executive bet on health pods and closed overnight in November 2024
Closed2013 – 2023Babylon Health
The health company offering an SI-powered chatbot and video consultations with doctors
Closed2012 – 2023Olive AI
Set out to automate the hospital back office: from USD 4 billion to a piecemeal sale
Closed2013 – 2023Pear Therapeutics
The FDA-authorised digital health pioneer developing prescription software therapies
Closed2014 – 2023SmileDirectClub
It posted clear aligners to your door, fell 28 per cent on listing day and shut down four years later
Closed2001 – 2020Proteus Digital Health
A digital medicine company valued at USD 1.5 billion that put ingestible sensors into pills
Closed2014 – 2019Arivale
A start-up offering personal health coaching based on genetic and blood tests
Closed2015 – 2019Call9
It set out to cut unnecessary hospital transfers by bringing remote emergency medicine to nursing homes
Closed2012 – 2019uBiome
The testing start-up that sequenced the human microbiome from samples taken at home
Closed2003 – 2018Theranos
The USD 9 billion health start-up that promised hundreds of tests from a single drop of blood
Closed2014 – 2024e-Basis Treinamento Gerencial e Tecnologia
Brazilian health information and consulting company
Closed2001 – 2021Sphere Medical (United Kingdom)
Company in Cambridge, United Kingdom
Closed1994 – 2018Soho Gyms
British chain of ten gyms spread out across central London
Closed2005 – 2017Mendor
Finnish health technology company
Closed2003 – 2015Bayer HealthCare
Company
Closed2012 – 2015MetaMed
Medical consulting firm
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This section is compiled from public sources (Wikidata, news archives and company announcements). Figures are given as they appear in those sources; unknown fields are left blank. If you spot a mistake in an entry, you can send us a correction.