Every January, the world’s largest healthcare investment symposium, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM 2026), offers an early signal of where life science leaders and investors are directing their attention.
This year, it became clear that momentum in the MedTech sector is no longer driven by who can articulate the boldest vision, but by those who can demonstrate how thoughtful design and execution can translate steadily into products that achieve market adoption.
MedTech leaders spoke confidently about industry growth, whilst making it clear that managing risk across the product development lifecycle has become central to how that growth is achieved. For corporates and start-ups alike, JPM 2026 highlighted the importance of managing uncertainty around timelines, key milestones and return on investment, without compromising the ambition to deliver meaningful advances in patient care.
Beyond this, these conversations reveal a change in how MedTech organisations are now approaching product development. The discussion that follows explores the key themes highlighted by JPM 2026 and what they mean for teams navigating the path from early innovation to adoption at scale.
AI Becomes Infrastructure, Rather Than Differentiator
Artificial intelligence dominated many of the conversations at JPM 2026, whilst highlighting that AI is no longer dominating product development in the same way, which aligns with our takeaways from CES 2026. The focus has moved from what AI can do in theory to where it is already delivering tangible return on investment. This mirrors what we are seeing across the sector more broadly, where recently announced initiatives, such as NVIDIA and Eli Lilly’s co‑innovation AI lab, signal a move towards AI as a core capability, embedded within long‑term technology and development strategy rather than positioned as a standalone breakthrough.
Importantly, this progression has also brought greater nuance into how AI is discussed and applied. Whilst AI is now better understood and widely adopted, JPM 2026 reinforced that AI should not be a default requirement for every medical device. As a result, AI is no longer the primary selling point it once was, which underscores an important reframing for product teams.
The objective is no longer to build AI‑branded devices, but devices that are AI‑ready. This means designing systems where intelligence is carefully considered, appropriately integrated, and able to withstand regulatory, clinical and commercial scrutiny. In this environment, AI can still differentiate products, but it is no longer the only differentiator. Since the use of AI in medical devices is often assumed, MedTech leaders must now consider how well AI is integrated into the broader system: how it supports workflows, fits within regulatory expectations and holds up in real‑world use.
This reframing changes how AI is viewed through a risk lens. Discussions at JPM 2026 reflected a clear understanding that AI can either de‑risk or amplify risk in product development, depending on how and when it is introduced. Poorly governed or ill‑defined AI can increase system complexity, extend validation effort and create additional regulatory considerations. Used selectively and intentionally, AI systems can be used to identify incomplete data, flag anomalies or validate inputs, reducing the risk of human error in clinical and operational use.
From a product development perspective, this places greater importance on making deliberate choices about if, when and how AI is embedded. Teams that treat AI as part of a well‑designed system, rather than a bolt‑on feature, are better positioned to build confidence with regulators, investors and end users alike. We explore this in more depth in our previous article, A comprehensive guide to developing an AI‑enabled product, which looks at how to integrate intelligence in a way that supports delivery rather than introducing new points of risk. It is also a challenge we encounter regularly at eg technology, where helping teams determine whether AI genuinely adds value is often as important as helping them design it in.
M&A Becomes a Strategic Tool for De Risking Innovation
While JPM 2026 is typically a catalyst for Merger and Acquisition (M&A) announcements, no major M&A deals were unveiled during the conference, with the exception of a buyout by Boston Scientific. However, delegates, such as Sofinnova Partners, a leading European VC firm, and various news outlets, reported that the sentiment of conference-goers was nevertheless optimistic for a number of reasons; firstly due to the announcement of several M&A deals just before the New Year (particularly in biopharma, obesity and diabetes management), and secondly due to the news that financial activity will not only pick up but is expected to stabilise in 2026 (due to falling interest rates and more selective investment decisions).
Conversations at JPM 2026 reinforced, however, that the funding landscape will look different this year compared to previous years. In 2026, investors are concentrating capital into a smaller number of opportunities, applying deeper scrutiny to how credibly companies can execute against their development plans. This shift places execution, rather than ambition, at the centre of funding decisions. As a result, companies that cannot clearly articulate development milestones, demonstrate meaningful risk reduction or justify realistic assumptions around scale‑up may find it more difficult to progress, even in a market where more capital exists in aggregate.
For MedTech leaders, this translates directly into a stronger emphasis on de‑risking across the product lifecycle. Investors expect to see early consideration of manufacturability, clear verification and validation strategies, and informed regulatory and reimbursement pathways, not as future intentions but as active components of current development. Programmes that reduce uncertainty early and show predictable progress are better positioned to build investor confidence and secure funding. Partnering with a product development specialist, such as eg technology, can enhance credibility and strengthen investor confidence by drawing on decades of experience in successfully bringing products to market.
JPM 2026 also highlighted that M&A is increasingly being used as a targeted strategy to reduce development and execution risk. MedTech corporates spoke openly about the challenges of delivering next‑generation innovation solely through internal R&D, particularly in an environment where time to market, regulatory complexity and capital efficiency are under greater scrutiny.
Rather than acquiring early ideas or unproven technology, many organisations are focusing on assets that have already been systematically de‑risked. This includes medical devices with clear product requirements, robust design controls and credible pathways through regulatory approval and manufacturing scale‑up. In this context, acquisition is less about buying future potential and more about buying confidence in delivery.
For medical device developers, this shift has important implications. The attributes that make a device attractive to acquirers increasingly overlap with those that support successful commercialisation. Programmes with unresolved technical dependencies, poorly understood usability risks or unclear manufacturing strategies are seen as carrying hidden cost and timeline uncertainty, reducing their strategic appeal.
Reducing Risk Is the Route to Growth
JPM’s 2026 outlook highlights a renewed focus on de-risking innovation and managing uncertainty in complex development programmes, without compromising on impact.
For corporates and start-ups alike, conversations in the MedTech sector are shifting from innovation alone to ways in which that innovation can be scaled and hold up under technical, regulatory and commercial scrutiny. Successful companies are considering ways to de-risk design decisions, development plans and delivery strategy early on, which is where a product development specialist, such as eg technology, can add value.
At eg technology, we work alongside MedTech leaders as a fully outsourced resource or as an extension to an R&D team, to translate ambition into execution, helping to reduce development risk and accelerate product development.
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