Ingeborg Investments has released its third annual venture research report, identifying women as healthcare’s “power users” who engage most deeply and spend the most, yet remain underserved by the system. The report outlines opportunities for startups and investors in 2026.
Women drive 60% of U.S. healthcare spending, representing $2.1 trillion annually. The report concludes that meaningful progress in reducing costs and improving outcomes requires designing for and investing in women as the system’s core users.
“In any other industry, the customers who spend the most and engage the deepest are the ones everyone designs for,” said Olivia Walton, Founder & CEO of Ingeborg Investments. “In healthcare, that group is women — and building for them is both good for families and good for business.”
The report identifies six forces shaping the current healthcare system: rising costs (projected to reach 19.7% of GDP by 2032), erosion of trust (only one-third of Americans trust the healthcare system), workforce strain (a projected deficit of 100,000 workers by 2028), environmental impact (up to 17% of premature deaths linked to environmental factors), evolving consumer preferences (60% of consumers expect healthcare experiences to mirror retail), and connection as health (chronic loneliness raises death risk by 29%).
The report highlights eight investment opportunities for 2026, including hormonal health solutions that deliver measurable symptomatic relief, AI as the first touchpoint in clinical triage with representative training data for women, tech-enabled environmental health interventions, cash-pay models for early detection starting with oncology, provider enablement tooling with AI capabilities, direct primary care and membership models driven by longevity trends, consumer medical records platforms, and technology that brings people together in real life.
According to the report, misaligned incentives among payers, providers, and patients have driven healthcare costs up 90% in 15 years. The report also notes that 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic condition.
Ingeborg Investments is the venture fund within Olivia Walton’s family office. The firm invests in innovation built with women in mind, backing female founders, funders, and leaders across the full female experience.
