Digital health unicorns need a check up – TechCrunch

Some of digital health’s best-capitalized startups are struggling.

A string of healthcare unicorns have announced layoffs over the past few weeks, including Ro, Cerebral, Forward and Calibrate. While these companies are all targeting different corners of the healthcare world — from direct-to-consumer healthcare to virtual mental health support — the layoffs show a similar response to the macroeconomic environment.

It’s a shift in tone for the companies, many of which were valued at over $1 billion and enjoyed a massive spike in customer interest during the pandemic. For early stage entrepreneurs, this shift brings a set of lessons on the nuances of operating in digital health. Let’s take a look.

The layoffs