Hello Forecasters,
Welcome back to the Inflection Point.
This week, we’re covering ‘Glucose Monitors’
TLDR;
- Tech giants are racing to figure out continuous, non-invasive health monitoring.
- Smart rings are generating more consumer interest than smartwatches.
- “Vitality Scores” and paid digital health coaches are on the horizon.
Last week's IP explored the future of personal tech.
NWO.ai flagged the growing consumer interest in 'glucose monitors' and got curious.
What are the cultural drivers behind this trend?
Our analysis revealed a spectrum of related consumer conversations.
The microtrends that piqued our interest are:
• 'Continuous Blood'
• ‘Endocrinologist’
• ‘Samsung’
Let's start with the obvious.
Over 37 million Americans have diabetes.
That’s 1 in 10 or a little over 11% of the entire population (Hi, Ozempic!)
The most important thing you can do to manage diabetes is monitor your blood sugar. Traditionally, glucometers require patients to prick their fingers repeatedly throughout the day.
CGMs have changed the game.
Over the last decade, technologies like ‘continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have been on the rise. Instead of blood strips, CGMs place a small sensor under the skin and can last between 10 - 14 days.
The companies dominating the market are:
Unlike Abbot, which exclusively makes CGMs, Dexcom has doubled its revenue since 2019 and brought in $2.9 B in 2022. Their spokesperson, Nick Jonas, helps consumers understand how insulin and food affect their blood sugar.
4.5 million people use Abbot’s Freestyle Libre monitor on any given day.
450 million people globally have diabetes, but only 7 million are using CGMS – this leaves a lot of room for companies to gain market share.
Dexcom recently revised its tagline from “empowering people to take control of their diabetes” to “empowering people to take control of their health.”
Historically, diabetes patients have needed prescriptions for CGMs, which insurances only partially cover.
Today, companies like Levels and January AI offer CGMs to those without diabetes.
For many women with PCOS, tracking insulin can help regulate hormones.
However, sleep tracking and metabolic health are the primary purchase drivers for non-diabetics.
Last year, Oura Ring struck partnerships with Veri, Supersapiens, and January AI to integrate how sleep metrics are affected by blood sugar and vice versa.
The smart jewelry market is on the rise.
Last week, Samsung announced its Galaxy Ring.
Samsung has been in the smartwatch market for over a decade. Health data accuracy comes from continuous monitoring, which, for many, presents itself as an issue if sleeping with a watch is uncomfortable.
While smart rings have been a niche product thus far, 2024 will be the year they turn mainstream.
The race for continuous non-invasive monitoring is on.
Apple, Samsung, Google, and Oura Ring are competing to develop the first non-invasive glucose monitor.
The NWO.ai signal for ‘non-invasive glucose monitoring’ is expected to peak in May 2024. The signal narrative driver is ‘Search’ followed by ‘Scientific,’ indicating a significant market demand.
The most prominent companies in the world can’t crack it.
In 2014, Google announced plans to make smart contact lenses that could measure blood glucose through teardrops. It shelved the complex project in 2018.
Apple created a secret company just to work on this project – one started by Steve Jobs himself.
With the first round of Vision Pros out this week, we’re excited to see how Apple visualizes personal health data in new ways.
Apple will also launch its paid AI health coach service, Quartz, later this year.
The service will focus on ‘anti-anxiety’ integrations like guided meditations.
Meanwhile, Samsung is pushing a new feature called “My Vitality Score.”
As more people seek to control their well-being, health data will be a massive driver for the development of AI Agents.
AIs that use natural language allow consumers to give context to their health data—empowering them to make healthier choices and lean into paid customized care.
That's all we've got for now.
Thanks for spending time with us on this week's Inflection Point.