If you’re the founder of a digital health startup, you’ve probably lost sleep over a straightforward, yet nuanced question: “What (in the hell) are investors looking for?”

You’ve got a great idea; check. You’ve built your MVP; check. You might even have a few users; check. But when it comes time to raise money, investors are hesitant. They ask a lot of questions, give a few frowns, and then you’re right back to the drawing board. You wonder if you’re telling your story the right way – or even if it’s the right story at all. The hard truth is that a good idea and a working product aren’t enough.

At Bluedoor, we’ve helped lots of startups cross this bridge. We collaborate closely with our partners at DHIT (the Digital Health Institute for Transformation) and DHEP Lab (Digital Health Economics and Policy) at UNC-Chapel Hill to give founders the tools and support they need to move from pitch to close. And we’ve seen what works, and more importantly, what doesn’t.

Here’s the truth: most digital health investors are looking for the same three things.

  • Are you really going to deliver the impact you say you will?
  • Are people going to pay for it?
  • Are people going to use it?

If you can give investors clear, evidence-based answers to those three questions, your chances of closing your next round increase exponentially.

Will it actually work?

This is where a lot of startups stumble. You say your app or platform is going to change the way people manage their health. That it will lower costs, improve outcomes, or increase access – the typical buzzwords. But when investors need proof, you get stuck. They ask, “What is your ROI story?” Or, “Have you proven impact?” 

That’s why an independent impact assessment matters.

When a trusted, third-party organization can look at your product, data, and goals, and then project what’s likely to happen, it gives investors the confidence that someone besides you has taken a good, hard look at the numbers and still believes in the results you’re promising.

At Bluedoor, we help startups do this by running simulations, building predictive models, and analyzing historical data. That might sound technical, but the outcome is simple. You get a report that says, “Here’s what we expect will happen if 1,000 or 10,000 people use this product.” That might include better health outcomes, stronger engagement, or even money saved by a hospital or health plan.

It’s the kind of proof that takes your pitch from interesting to investable.

Will people actually pay for it?

A lot of founders ‘guesstimate’ their pricing by either copying what others in the market are charging or even settling on a number that just feels right. But mispricing can kill a business. Charge too much and no one buys, charge too little and you cannot grow.

Investors know this. They’ve seen companies fail just because they couldn’t get their pricing right. We can help fix that.

By testing different price points and studying how real users respond, we help startups find the sweet spot between consumer enticement and margin. We look at what different groups are willing to pay, what features matter most, and what trade-offs people are willing to make. This isn’t just theory; it’s empirical science, rooted in behavioral economics and real-world data.

The result is a pricing strategy that fits your market, boosts your revenue, and makes your product more accessible to the people who need it most.

When you walk into an investor meeting and say, “We tested five different price points with 500 potential users, and here’s what we learned,” you’re speaking their language. That kind of detail builds confidence that you and your product are investable.

Will people actually use it?

Building a digital health product is hard. Getting people to use it every day is even harder. Too many startups assume that if they build a great product, users will flock and remain engaged. In reality, most people drop off if the user experience isn’t smooth, clear, motivating, and consistent.

That’s where our User Journey Optimization comes in. We map out how people move through your product, from the first time they hear about it to the moments that matter most. Do they get stuck? Lose interest? Miss reminders?

We then redesign that journey to make it easier, more intuitive, and more rewarding. We use behavioral science methodologies to nudge people toward actions that lead to better health and stronger results. Whether it’s taking medication on time, showing up for a virtual visit, or just checking in every day, small changes in the user journey make a huge difference in demonstrable outcomes.

The cherry on top? When your product is easier to use and delivers better outcomes, you don’t just keep users, you keep investors happy too.

The Power of Third-Party Validation

If you really want to stand out, don’t just say your product works, show that others agree. When your impact, pricing, and user experience have been tested and validated by a trusted, independent group, it changes the conversation from pitching potential to proof. 

Investors want to believe what you are saying, but they care more that your product works, people will use it, and people will pay for it. When you can confidently check those boxes, with undeniable evidence, you turn your pitch into an investor’s dream.

At Bluedoor, that’s what we do. We are experts in assisting digital health founders in turning smart ideas into investable solutions. If you’re ready to go from “potential” to “proof,” let’s talk.