US Export Plan - Sector Report - HealthTech & Digital Health

Exporting to the US

The US is well known as the biggest healthcare market in the world, and per capita health spending is by far the highest globally^[10]. As such, for digital health and HealthTech companies with products or services that are exportable to the US, it can be an incredibly attractive market.

Driven by rapid technological innovation and the growing demand for more efficient, patient-centred care, the US healthcare system is accelerating its adoption of digital health solutions. The market is projected to reach approximately $295.4 billion by 2028^[11], reflecting its pivotal role in transforming healthcare delivery. Sector-specific export data for HealthTech is limited, but the Scottish Government’s Export Plan for Scotland’s Life Sciences Sector identifies HealthTech as the largest contributor to life sciences exports. The plan classifies the US as a priority market for the medical technology and digital health subsectors based on the scale of opportunity, ease of doing business and openness to innovation.^[12] Scottish Development International (SDI) are also providing enhanced support in the US with specialist presence in the US to support the sector and engaging with key sector events, including the annual BIO International Convention in California.^[13]

Establishing local infrastructure in the US, for example local data centres, can be critical for successful integration into the life sciences ecosystem. Local hosting not only ensures compliance with stringent regulations like HIPAA, which govern the processing, storage, and accessibility of protected health information, but also guarantees that data remains within US jurisdiction and is readily available to authorities when required. Beyond regulatory considerations, proximity is essential for performance with real-time applications such as remote monitoring, telemedicine, and AI-driven analytics demanding ultra-low latency and high bandwidth, which can only be achieved through domestic network infrastructure. Servicing can be as important as the initial product sale for many businesses in the sector as well. Having localised capability enables companies to build strategic partnerships and maintain robust clinical and commercial networks across providers, patients, and innovation hubs to support further scaling in the US market.

The dynamism of the sector in the US is shown through the levels of venture capital activity in the market. US HealthTech and digital health continues to accelerate, with nearly 4,000 deals recorded in 2024. The VC community in the US tends to be well versed in the sector, and for some exporters, the opportunity to engage with the deeper pools of capital in the US can be attractive alongside looking at growing sales there.