The office perks arms race is over. Free kombucha and bean bags don’t attract top talent anymore — but access to mental health support, digital fitness tools, and wellbeing apps do. For companies, that shift isn’t just about caring for employees. It’s the birth of a massive new tech market.
Lucien Engelen, a global healthcare innovation expert, sees it clearly: “We’re moving from a sick care system to a health care system — and that creates new business opportunities.”
Wellness Is the New Infrastructure
Engelen has spent over 30 years working in hospitals, emergency response systems, and tech-driven health programs. Today, he leads Transform.Health, advising global names like Deloitte and Vodafone on health strategies — and delivering 100+ keynotes a year.
His main message: investing in wellbeing is no longer optional. It’s strategic. And as more companies realize that healthy teams perform better, they’re opening their wallets — not for treatment, but for prevention.
“We’re not waiting for water to gush from the wall anymore,” says Engelen. “We’re fixing the pipes early — and that requires technology.”
Enter the Wellbeing Tech Boom
This mindset shift has triggered a demand for new tools: fitness wearables, mindfulness apps, teletherapy platforms, sleep monitors, even financial wellness dashboards. These aren’t side perks — they’re becoming part of the corporate infrastructure. And that’s exactly where tech companies come in.
“We’re going to see Big Tech signing massive contracts with corporates,” Engelen says. “They’re also going to start acquiring more startups in the wellbeing space — not just for the tech, but for the ready-to-spend market.” It’s a simple equation: companies need new digital health tools, and they’re willing to pay. Tech firms, both big and small, are positioning themselves to meet that demand — launching platforms, scaling services, and closing B2B deals at record speed.
A Holistic Approach, A Larger Market
Wellbeing is no longer just about physical health. Employers are now investing in tools that support mental, social, and even financial health — expanding the product categories tech firms can offer.
That holistic model is especially popular with younger employees. Research by PwC shows nearly 40% of Gen Z workers in the UK have considered quitting due to mental health struggles. But this same generation also demands privacy — pushing companies to provide services through secure, third-party apps that keep data confidential.
This, again, creates more room for startups offering safe, anonymous, and user-centric wellbeing tools.
Regulation Is Catching Up — and Fueling Growth
The EU’s recent approval of the European Health Data Space regulation is expected to accelerate adoption even further. The regulation will give citizens mandatory access to their medical records through smartphones — potentially integrating thousands of apps, services, and platforms. It’s another layer of infrastructure — and another door for tech innovation.
The Market That Pays to Prevent
With research showing that every $1 invested in employee wellness can return $6 in value, more companies are jumping in. From reducing sick leave to improving retention and saving on rehiring, the financial case is strong.
As Engelen puts it, “Employers are realizing that wellbeing isn’t just good for people — it’s good for business.”
And for tech innovators, the message is just as clear: there’s a new market emerging. It’s digital, it’s global, and it’s growing fast. The workplace isn’t just where we work anymore — it’s becoming one of the most important platforms for health innovation.
Prepared by Navruzakhon Burieva
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