#Twenty25 - Funding the future of health tech - Part 3/20 Interview with Yara Alenazi, Mass Mutual Ventures

Ian Coyne: Looking ahead to 2025, where do you think investments in health tech will go?

Yara Alenazi: We’re stepping into what I call the "proactive era", where the outdated, one-size-fits-all model is tossed out the window. Now, genetic, lifestyle, and behavioural data aren’t just stand-alone data points—they can be interoperable tools that anticipate our holistic health needs and head off issues before they even become blips on the radar. We’re shifting from a “let’s fix it” mindset to a “let’s prevent it” reality and to do this clean, structured data is king. So, I anticipate 2025 to be filled with innovative solutions maximising for this, marking the end of reactive care and the dawn of genuinely preventive, custom-tailored health.

Ian: That sounds transformative. How do you think this will change the patient journey?

Yara: Higher patient engagement and ownership over their outcomes, the era of passive patients is over. Recent health events have made the general population hyper-aware of their health and no longer satisfied with slow, impersonal care. We’re heading towards a patient-driven world, where healthcare is as accessible as ordering groceries. Expect fewer traditional GP visits and more at-home options—think remote screenings and DIY tests that put control back in the patient’s hands and cut the red tape of primary care. It’s not just convenience; it’s empowerment. Patients are in charge, the healthcare system is adapting to meet them, and the journey forward is faster, smarter, and undeniably better for everyone.

Ian: What about the health system itself? What changes do you foresee?

Yara: The rise of automation and robotics is a big one, it’s addressing both the diminishing workplace and the need for higher throughput. We’re talking automated genetic screenings, AI-guided surgeries and autonomous pharmacies. Beyond that, we’re moving toward integrated digital systems where every piece of patient data, from scans to prescriptions, flows seamlessly between departments, cutting down wait times and making healthcare truly patient-centric. The health system of tomorrow is automated, inter-connected, and way more efficient—finally catching up with the fast-paced world it serves!

Ian: Speaking of tech, what role do you think big tech companies will play in the next five years?

Yara: Big tech is an enabler. They are both providing the infrastructure needed to process the masses of health data we are collecting and they’re also funding it. We’ve seen NVIDIA build supercomputers for countries’ healthcare systems and we’ve seen AWS supercharge the operating room. This is widely regarded as the final frontier for tech giants, and we can expect to see them both in the tech stack and on the cap table.

Ian: Looking into 2025 and beyond. what areas in health tech are you personally excited about?

Yara: for me its two main areas: automation, which I touched on previously, and healthcare-as-a-service. While robotics offers precision surgeries and automated workflows, we’ve seen it move from the back end to the front-end with GenAI offering patient interfacing. And then there’s healthcare-as-a-service—the "Netflix-ification" of health. Imagine healthcare that’s on-demand, personalised, and managed like a SaaS subscription. It’s healthcare gone digital, hyper-accessible, and scalable. These are the shifts that will redefine what it means to “go to the doctor.”

Ian: If you had a magic wand, what would you change in the healthcare landscape?

Yara: I’d scrap the regulatory maze and build a single, unified global playbook for healthcare standards. No more jumping through endless hoops to bring innovations to the world, one set of rules, one global green light, letting companies scale fast without getting tangled in red tape. And while I’m at it, I’d create universal data standards, so all health data, wearables, medical records, genetic profiles, flows seamlessly. Imagine a world where your health info is as easy to access as your bank account. Less paperwork, more progress.

Ian: That's a great vision. Thanks for sharing your insights, Yara. It's been a fascinating discussion.

Yara: Thank you, Ian. It was a pleasure talking to you.

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Yara focuses primarily on health tech investments in Europe and APAC. Prior to joining MMV in 2022, Yara was an investment analyst at Oxford Investment Consultants, investing in UK early-stage biotech and healthcare companies. Yara holds a DPhil in cardiovascular medicine from the Oxford University where her research resulted in multiple publications, press coverage and patents.

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