The 2021 DrakeStar Telemedicine Sector Report provides an overview of the European telemedicine market during the COVID-19 outbreak. The report explores the uses of telemedicine, market trends, the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, interviews with leaders in the sector, and an overview of the European landscape and its main players. The report includes a comprehensive list of recent private placement and M&A activity, as well as an analysis of public markets valuations, including the launch of the DrakeStar Telemedicine Index. The report also provides 72 short profiles of European telemedicine companies, from startups to established firms, offering a diverse picture of the European market. The global telemedicine market recorded historic growth in 2020, reaching $52bn and is projected to triple by 2025 to over $150bn. Based on the authors' estimations, the European market represents 20% of the global telemedicine market, but growing at a slower rate due to structural issues. Telemedicine adoption has been accompanied by a surge in fundraising, enabling platforms to scale quickly. The report provides a mapping of the largest and most active financial and industrial investors in the space. The authors found that the complexity of the European market, with a lack of common regulatory framework among member states as well as the financial imperatives of the new telemedicine business models, prevent the future domination of a pan-European leader. Increasingly, regional telemedicine players are turning to acquisitions and specialized medical services to differentiate themselves from rising competitors.
