Wellness in Everything

Wellness has become a part of everything we consume, how we work, and even a part of our social and cultural norms. This has become pronounced during the pandemic as our personal health is constantly top of mind and in the media. Without us even knowing or thinking about it we feel aspects of wellness in hotels, cars, airplanes, and who we choose to associate with based on their habits, and technology has adapted alongside those trends. Across verticals, industries that did not prioritize health are now actively engaged in this space and are offering solutions to customers who expect their needs for a healthy lifestyle to be met. We believe that in the coming years we will see technology solutions become more ingrained into wellness to keep up with young consumer’s growing expectations.

Wellness and specifically wellness tech have become a key part of business because of the cultural norms triumphed by millennials. While the generation of Baby Boomers may have launched the initial health trends, that generation grew up living deeply unhealthy lives starting with the excesses of the 1980’s. Today however millennial’s (and Gen Z’s) purchasing habits and use of technology in every aspect of life have made wellness a ubiquitous part of consumption in modern society. At Welltech1 when we focus on wellness, what we are investing in are companies solving problems in a vertical that touches most modern industries. In what seems like a trend which occurred overnight wellness has become an important part of our daily lives.

Like many social norms turned business trends, wellness as something to be valued in our culture came from America. Those trail blazing trends have had a positive long-term impact; when looking at future life expectancy millennial’s healthy mindsets and habits will preempt them from suffering from many of the diseases which plagued previous generations. As this Sanford Health article highlights “with the exception of family, millennials value health the most. In a recent study, 79 percent said family was important in their lives, followed by health and wellness at 53 percent, friends at 39 percent, spirituality at 31 percent and career at 27 percent.”

During pandemic days there are three trends that are driving traditional industries to embrace wellness (tech). The first one is the obvious focus on our health and the precautions we are all taking during the pandemic to protect ourselves from the spread of the virus. COVID being the “great accelerator” it has not just brought our personal health into full focus but intensified that focus. Consumer buying habits are the manifestation of those trends; if millennials have been health focused, Gen Z’s lifestyle choices are even more so. As such, traditional industries that may have not considered taking a ‘wellness first’ approach are now fully embracing this vertical in their offerings because of these factors.

Wellness has changed traditional industries

The airline industry is currently in a state of reinvention because of the pandemic. Budget airlines and the burden of flying in a post 9/11 world had already become a far cry from the luxurious flying experience presented in shows like Mad Men. The experience of flying (even with a mask) does not have to be a brutal experience as airlines in the last few years have been offering a health-centered experience for their passenger’s safety. Technology has also played a major role in the flying experience with robots that sanitize the planes between flights, which is particularly important during COVID times. An example of local Israeli innovation is “an innovative robotic system to rapidly sterilize passenger air crafts using powerful UV light technology is being tested by leading Israeli aerospace and defense firm Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)” and one which will see further adoption.

Hygiene focused technology and air purification systems have become the standard, not just in airplanes but cars as well. If a customer wants to rent a car, the rental company utilizes robots which clean each car after its usage to create a hygienic environment and experience. Airplanes are not the only form of transportation that has embraced wellness and made it synonymous with luxury. Fancy cars have always been a status symbol, but automakers are not just focusing on design today but on the driver experience. Jaguar is an example of a luxury brand that has embraced this with their wellness infused Land Rovers, but they are “not alone in recognizing the growing desire for manufacturers to adapt everyday environments to enhance health and well being, other carmakers including Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai have also been developing ways to infuse wellness features into their automobiles.”

Wellness post-pandemic

Another industry where wellness has become a key driver is hospitality. Today global hotel chains are looking for wellness technologies as people will be spending more time in their rooms and have been incorporating new practices such as ‘wellness walks’ for quarantined travelers. Buyer behavior being what it is, travelers will find ways to travel even during a pandemic. COVID has taken a major toll on this industry but as we ease into the ‘new normal’ and learn to live with the virus this industry could be one of the first to recover after a true reinvention. Examples include Welltech1 portfolio company Fitv which allows the user to exercise in their room and receive real-time feedback. Folding sheets without anyone touching them is part of touch-less tech accelerated by COVID and refreshments that are healthy and have a long shelf life such as ToLive smoothies are an amenity we’ll be seeing more of in modern hotels.

Wellness has influenced all aspects of our lives, and as such technology solutions need to be found for the many problems to be addressed. Welltech1 looks to work with the most ambitious entrepreneurs searching for wellness innovation who understand that wellness is not a niche but in fact one of the driving consumer trends touching many aspects of the global economy.

Welltech1 invests in and accelerates wellness startups with the goal of increasing viability, seeking additional investment and connecting to global partners immersed in the wellness market. Welltech1 provides startups with the know-how to scale, a dedicated professional team of wellness experts, business advisors, and global partners a gateway to accessing the global $4.5 trillion wellness market. To learn more click here.