Reports

China's PC online healthcare market has grown from approximately RMB 2.7 bln in 2011 to RMB 24.5 bln in 2016.

Strong growth of the PC online healthcare market is partly a product of China's overall boom in healthcare spending, driven by the rapid aging of the population, the Chinese government's aggressive expansion of universal insurance coverage, the contribution of heavy water and air pollution issues to higher incidence of chronic ailments like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and rising average incomes and changing lifestyles, with Chinese consumers now attaching increasing importance to health and fitness. China's total public and private healthcare spending reached USD 640 bln in 2015 and is expected to grow to USD 1.1 trln by 2020. Similarly, China's spending on pharmaceuticals reached USD 115 bln in 2015, up from USD 26 bln in 2007, making it the world's second-largest drug market after only the U.S.

At the same time, steadily increasing adoption of the internet - with China's total internet user base exceeding 730 mln for a penetration rate of 53.2% by the end of 2016 - is driving traditional industries like healthcare to embrace the internet as a means of improving efficiency, cutting costs, and providing more targeted, customized services. China's policy makers, as part of their Internet Plus program, have also identified the healthcare sector as one of several key traditional industries targeted for accelerated development through the application of the internet and other information technologies.

As technological, regulatory, economic, and social factors have aligned over the past several years to create attractive opportunities in the development of online healthcare and fitness platforms, investment in the sector by venture capital firms, major internet companies, and traditional healthcare and insurance providers has ramped quickly. Many startups in the field have already achieved Series C funding or better, and leading internet and mobile services firms like Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent have been active both in launching online healthcare platforms of their own and investing in online healthcare and fitness startups.

To help investors and health industry enterprises identify opportunities among China's quickly growing number of online health and fitness platform operators, Marbridge has researched and formulated the China PC Online Health and Fitness Industry Matrix. The Q1 2017 edition of the Matrix, offered in Excel (read-only) format, provides details on leading PC online health and fitness service providers, platforms, and industry regulations, including explanations of grey areas and methods service providers are employing to adapt to or circumvent regulations:

Leading PC Online Health and Fitness Service Providers (150)

• Listing Status (public, to list, private)
• Location (city in which operator is headquartered)
• Date Established
• Company Business Scope
• Company Homepage URL
• Funding Information

• Platform Overview
• Platform Description
• Platform Functions by Category
• Availability of Corresponding Mobile App

• Regulation
• Official Implementation Status
• De Facto Implementation & Enforcement Status