THE RISK-SHARING GAME: WHY VALUE-BASED CARE IS THE NEW MOAT FOR DIGITAL HEALTH STARTUPS

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this essay are my own and do not reflect the views of Datavant or any of its affiliates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

- Why value-based care platforms represent a structural shift in digital health investing

- The economics of risk-sharing and how it changes startup valuations

- Technical infrastructure requirements for VBC platforms

- Evidence generation strategies for early-stage companies

- Investment frameworks and key milestones for angels

ABSTRACT

Value-based care platforms represent a fundamental shift in how digital health companies capture value and scale. Unlike traditional SaaS adoption models, VBC platforms embed themselves in the financial flows of healthcare by taking on outcomes risk through shared savings arrangements, quality bonuses, and other performance-based contracts. This essay examines why risk-sharing models create defensible moats for digital health startups, the technical infrastructure required to operate in VBC environments, evidence generation strategies for resource-constrained companies, and practical investment frameworks for angels evaluating these opportunities. The core thesis is that digital health companies willing to put skin in the game through risk-sharing arrangements can command premium valuations and create sustainable competitive advantages, but only if they build the right data infrastructure and evidence base from day one.