5 Key Trends from HLTH 2025, the U.S.’s Largest Healthcare Innovation Conference 

HLTH is the largest healthcare innovation conference in the U.S., bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders across the entire industry, with over 12,250 attendees, 950 sponsors, and 500 speakers.

The Global Innovation Center was on the ground at HLTH 2025 to engage with cutting-edge startups and technologies, source next-gen perspectives, and promote its innovation efforts.

The team generated 20+ insights over the week by attending sessions, canvassing the show floor, and connecting with industry leaders from around the globe.

In addition, the Global Innovation Center brought vision innovation to the conference, presenting insights from its Future of Oculomics report—you can view the 15-minute address here—to amplify vision care's growing, evolving role across the entire healthcare continuum. 

After connecting with many attendees, speakers, and exhibitors, the team spotted five key trends that emerged throughout the conference. 

1. AI Homogenizes the Digital Health Ecosystem 

Insight: The HLTH floor and program reflected the state of the digital health ecosystem—most of the funding and energy is being directed to one place: AI. Gone are the days of a category-diverse floor, once populated with sleep tech, fem tech, wellness, etc., in equal measure; today, nearly every digital health company is an AI-enabled digital health company.

Why It Matters: As AI becomes an expected utility, companies without AI-enabled value are struggling for capital. According to CB Insights, six out of 11 new digital health unicorns in Q1 2025 were focused on AI-driven provider workflows, signaling that investors are prioritizing platforms that deliver immediate, automated operational efficiency.

 
2. Diagnostics Shift from Lab-centric to Life-centric 

Insight: Driven by advances in connected devices, wearables, and AI-enabled diagnostics, consumers are demanding that testing move beyond traditional clinics and meet them where they are. This empowers the patient and shifts the focus from episodic, reactive screening to continuous, proactive health management.

Why It Matters: Fragmentation is the top consumer pain point in testing. Health systems must "unhook growth from real estate" and build highly connected diagnostic ecosystems. This decentralization of diagnostics is critical for capturing long-term consumer loyalty and accelerating the potential shift to value-based, preventive care. 

3. Specialties Democratize Access to the Front Door 

Insight: While primary care and labs have typically served as the "front door" to the healthcare system, specialties like eye care, oral care, and behavioral health are stepping into that role, as well. Driven by advancements such as oculomics, the study of the eye as a window into overall health, and salivary diagnostics, these specialties are becoming first-touch screening hubs for chronic conditions. 

Why It Matters: Escalating chronic care costs demand low-cost preventative gateways. Investors recognize this, with 52% of 2025 Digital Health 50 winners focusing on specialty diagnostics, affirming that these providers are effective access points for early intervention. 

For more on these trends plus two others from the conference, check out our “5 Key Trends from HLTH 2025” booklet and watch the “Oculomics—The Eye as the Ultimate Diagnostics Tool” talk. 

For more vision innovation news and updates, check out the Global Innovation Center's LinkedIn page.