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The SpaceX IPO Put a Spotlight on Starlink — and on the One Public Company Building a Rival Direct-to-Phone Network

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4 months ago

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Editorial Commentary — Commercial Space Series

SpaceX’s public listing cast Starlink Mobile as a future wireless challenger. AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) is the most prominent publicly traded company pursuing the same direct-to-device satellite-broadband market.

Key Takeaways

The SpaceX IPO prospectus framed Starlink Mobile as a direct-to-smartphone service intended to compete with terrestrial mobile networks — spotlighting a market that public investors cannot access through SpaceX alone.AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) is the most prominent listed company building a direct-to-device satellite-broadband network, connecting ordinary, unmodified smartphones from space.AST has reported securing over US$1.2 billion in aggregate contracted revenue commitments from partners, and is targeting 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.Other listed satellite-connectivity names include Globalstar (NASDAQ: GSAT) and Viasat (NASDAQ: VSAT) — each distinct, and neither a proxy for the other.

The IPO That Made Satellite-to-Phone a Headline

VANCOUVER, BC, June 27, 2026 /CNW/ — Equity Insider Market Commentary, When Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) filed to go public on the Nasdaq under the proposed ticker SPCX, the prospectus did more than reveal the financials of the world’s most valuable private company. It laid out, in detail, how SpaceX intends to turn its Starlink constellation into a wireless competitor — casting Starlink Mobile as a direct-to-smartphone service designed to perform “on par with terrestrial mobile networks,” with next-generation satellites slated to expand the offering beyond messaging toward full broadband and IoT connectivity. Get our free Orbital Economy Signal Brief for plain-English intelligence on the commercial-space sector, delivered as it moves.

That framing turned a once-niche idea — connecting an ordinary phone directly to a satellite, with no special hardware — into a front-page investment theme. But there is a catch for public investors: SpaceX’s satellite-to-phone business is bundled inside an enormous company spanning launch, Starlink broadband, and an artificial-intelligence unit. For those seeking a focused, public-market way to play the direct-to-device race specifically, the most prominent name is not SpaceX at all. It is AST SpaceMobile.

AST SpaceMobile: The Public Pure-Play on Phones-From-Space

AST SpaceMobile (Nasdaq: ASTS), based in Midland, Texas, is building what it calls a space-based cellular broadband network designed to connect everyday, unmodified smartphones directly to its satellites — aiming to eliminate mobile “dead zones” worldwide. Where Starlink began as a fixed-broadband service using dedicated terminals, AST’s entire thesis is the direct-to-device market that SpaceX’s IPO filing has now thrust into the spotlight. That makes the two natural — if vastly differently sized — competitors in the same emerging category.

The company has been building both its constellation and its commercial foundation. AST reported full-year 2025 revenue of about US$70.9 million, driven by mobile-network-operator partners and the U.S. government, and said it had secured over US$1.2 billion in aggregate contracted revenue commitments from partners — a figure that speaks to the scale of carrier interest. It has also reported completing the in-orbit unfolding of BlueBird 6, which it described as the largest commercial communications array ever deployed in low Earth orbit, and has laid out a launch cadence intended to reach 45 to 60 satellites in orbit by the end of 2026.

The risk profile is equally clear, and worth stating plainly: AST is a capital-intensive, still-largely-pre-revenue business whose value depends on executing a demanding manufacturing-and-launch campaign on schedule. A successful deployment validates the model; a stumble in cadence or array deployment would do the opposite. This is a build-it-first business, and the build is far from finished.

How AST and SpaceX Actually Differ

It would be a mistake to treat AST as a miniature Starlink. The two take different technical and commercial approaches: AST partners with terrestrial mobile-network operators to extend their existing networks from space, positioning itself as a complement that carriers integrate, rather than a stand-alone consumer ISP. SpaceX, by contrast, has the advantage of owning its own launch vehicles — it flies Starlink satellites on its own Falcon 9 and Starship rockets — plus enormous scale and a head start in subscribers. AST’s counter is focus and carrier alignment: it is building specifically for the direct-to-device use case in partnership with the incumbents whose customers it would serve. Which model wins, or whether both coexist, is exactly the open question the SpaceX IPO has made unavoidable. Tracking how this sector is being repriced in real time? Join the free Orbital Economy Signal Brief to follow the shifts as they happen.

The Wider Satellite-Connectivity Field

Beyond AST, a couple of listed satellite-connectivity companies help frame the landscape — each with a distinct model and risk profile, and neither a proxy for the other. Globalstar (Nasdaq: GSAT) provides mobile satellite services and wholesale capacity, reporting first-quarter 2026 revenue of about US$70.1 million, up 17% year-over-year, and has been a long-running infrastructure partner in the satellite-to-phone space. Viasat (Nasdaq: VSAT) anchors the broadband-and-connectivity end as a diversified satellite-communications operator serving aviation, government, and consumer markets. Together with AST, these names show that “satellite connectivity” spans several business models — wholesale capacity and diversified broadband — all being re-rated as the direct-to-device opportunity SpaceX highlighted draws fresh capital and attention. Each, however, will live or die on its own constellation, balance sheet, and execution.

A Note on the Broader Space Trade

One smaller name investors scanning the sector may note is Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET), mentioned here for context only and not as a recommendation. The company has publicly described operating what it calls the world’s only commercial fleet of flight-ready Mach 2+ supersonic F-104 aircraft from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, and in May 2026 it announced a US$17.5 million strategic equity investment led by institutional investors, with proceeds earmarked to support operational expansion and continued advancement of its STARLAUNCH platform. These are the company’s own announced figures; readers should verify them in its filings.

The Bottom Line

The SpaceX IPO did more than reveal Starlink’s economics — it confirmed that connecting ordinary phones directly to satellites is a market the most sophisticated player in space intends to pursue aggressively. For public investors, that validation lands not on SpaceX’s sprawling franchise but on the focused names building in the same direction. AST SpaceMobile is the most prominent of them, with carrier commitments and an ambitious deployment plan — and the considerable execution risk that comes with building a constellation from scratch. The question the IPO sharpened is no longer whether satellite-to-phone is real, but who builds the winning network. The answer will come from orbit, on a schedule, over the next several years. To keep a closer eye on the launch, satellite, lunar, and space-data economy as it develops, sign up for the free Orbital Economy Signal Brief.

SIGNAL OVER NOISE

Signal over noise. Space, satellite-connectivity, and telecom headlines move fast — and the crowd often moves first. Eagle Eye is a real-time investor signal-intelligence platform that surfaces sentiment shifts, news flow, and trending tickers as they happen, so you see the move forming instead of reading about it later. See it at eagle-eye.dev.

CONTACT

Equity Insider
info@equity-insider.com

SOURCES

[1] Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Form S-1 registration statement and Starlink Mobile disclosures (proposed Nasdaq symbol SPCX), May–June 2026, sec.gov; contemporaneous news reporting.
[2] AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASTS), Q4 and full-year 2025 results and business update, March 2, 2026.
[3] Globalstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: GSAT), Q1 2026 financial results, May 7, 2026.
[4] Viasat, Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT), corporate disclosures, 2026.
[5] Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET), company press releases ($17.5 million strategic investment; STARLAUNCH; Kennedy Space Center operations), 2026.

DISCLAIMER

IMPORTANT — PLEASE READ: This article is editorial commentary and was NOT paid for, requested, commissioned, reviewed, or approved by any of the companies named in it, nor by Creative Direct Marketing Group (“CDMG”). No company mentioned in this article paid for or had any involvement in its preparation or publication. The disclosures that follow are provided in the interest of full transparency regarding our broader business relationships, even though they do not apply to this specific article.

Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This publication is neither an offer nor a recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. Equity Insider is owned and operated by Market IQ Media Group Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of Ireland (“MIQL”). As part of its ongoing business, MIQL has been paid fees by CDMG for advertising and digital media for Starfighters Space, Inc. (NYSE American: FJET) in connection with separate, paid campaigns; those paid materials are distinct from this article, which is unpaid editorial. This relationship constitutes a potential conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our commentary regarding Starfighters Space, Inc., and readers are strongly encouraged not to use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. MIQL and its owner/operators do not own shares of Starfighters Space, Inc. or of any other company named in this article in connection with this piece, but reserve the right to buy and sell securities of any company mentioned at any time without further notice. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our publication is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This publication contains forward-looking statements concerning the companies referenced and the commercial-space sector, including statements regarding the proposed initial public offering of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (“SpaceX”) and its reported terms, which are based on third-party reporting and SpaceX’s own filings and remain subject to change until and unless finalized; product development, launch and mission timelines; contract awards and backlog; and broader market conditions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks and uncertainties — including execution, regulatory, financing, competitive and macroeconomic risks — that could cause actual results to differ materially, as detailed in each referenced company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. References to SpaceX are for thematic and contextual purposes only; SpaceX is a separate company with no affiliation to the publisher, and nothing herein is an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell, securities of SpaceX or any other company. Figures attributed to named companies are drawn from those companies’ public disclosures. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made; the publisher undertakes no obligation to update or revise them except as required by applicable law.

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Healthcare Data Center Market to Reach USD 37.11 Billion by 2035 as AI Genomics, EHR Resilience and Hosted Capacity Reshape Healthcare Infrastructure – DC Market Insights

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48 minutes ago

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October 23, 2026

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Market grows at a 9.15% CAGR from USD 15.46 billion in 2025; AI genomics and research computing expands 16.71% a year, while North America holds 46.0% of spending

LONDON, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The “Healthcare Data Center Market – Growth, Share, Opportunities & Competitive Analysis, 2026-2035” report has been added to the DC Market Insights offering. The global Healthcare Data Center Market was valued at USD 15.46 billion in 2025, is estimated at USD 17.34 billion in 2026, and is projected to reach USD 37.11 billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 9.15% from 2025 to 2035. DC Market Insights finds that healthcare infrastructure is splitting between general-purpose EHR workloads that increasingly move to hosted environments and higher-value AI, imaging, research and resilience workloads that require dedicated or colocated capacity.

Healthcare Data Center Market at a Glance

Metric

Value (DC Market Insights estimate)

Market size, 2020

USD 9.77 billion

Market size, 2025 (base year)

USD 15.46 billion

Market size, 2026

USD 17.34 billion (+12.16% year on year)

Market size, 2030

USD 25.10 billion

Market size, 2035

USD 37.11 billion

CAGR 2025-2035

9.15% (low case 7.13%, high case 10.69%)

Largest component

IT hardware, 70.7% of 2025 value

Fastest-growing workload

AI genomics and research computing, 16.71% CAGR

Leading region

North America, 46.0% (USD 7.11 billion)

Fastest-growing region

Asia Pacific, 11.72% CAGR

Largest end user

Hospitals and health systems, 47.0% of 2025 value

Key Takeaways

IT hardware accounts for USD 10.93 billion, or 70.7% of 2025 market value, reflecting the high server, storage and accelerator content of clinical and research workloads.AI genomics and research computing is the fastest workload, rising 16.71% a year from USD 2.30 billion in 2025 to USD 10.78 billion by 2035.Hospitals and health systems remain the largest end user at USD 7.27 billion in 2025, while pharmaceutical and life sciences grows fastest among end users at 11.61% a year.On-premises owned sites hold 60.0% of 2025 value, but wholesale and build-to-suit grows 14.01% a year as research and AI clusters move into purpose-built capacity.North America leads with 46.0% of 2025 spending, while Asia Pacific grows fastest at 11.72%; India is the fastest-growing large country at 18.37% a year.

Scope & Segmentation – Healthcare Data Center Market

The report analyzes the market across the following segments:

Component: IT Hardware; Colocation and Hosting Services; Electrical and Mechanical Infrastructure; Construction and Fit-OutEnd User: Hospitals and Health Systems; Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences; Payers and Health Insurers; Health IT and Medtech Vendors; Public Health and Research InstitutesWorkload: EHR and Clinical Applications; Medical Imaging and PACS; AI Genomics and Research Computing; Claims and Revenue Cycle; Backup and Disaster Recovery; Collaboration and Other WorkloadsDeployment Model: On-Premises Owned Sites; Retail Colocation; Wholesale and Build-to-Suit; Vendor-Hosted Private CloudGeography: North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; Middle East and Africa, with 12 country forecasts

Report Updated: Oct. 22, 2026

Get Free Sample Report – Healthcare Data Center Market

“Healthcare data center demand is moving in two directions at once: hospitals are reducing general-purpose owned halls while AI, imaging, research and cyber-resilience requirements add denser, higher-value infrastructure. Our model shows AI genomics and research computing growing 16.71% a year and wholesale or build-to-suit capacity growing 14.01%, while the owned-site share falls from 60.0% in 2025 toward 45.0% by 2035. That makes compliant hosted capacity, AI-ready infrastructure and recoverability the strongest growth pools through the forecast period.”

— Amit Jain, Senior Consultant, ICT & Emerging Technologies, DC Market Insights, report author

Why This Report Matters
Healthcare data centers sit at the intersection of patient-data availability, clinical application performance, medical imaging, pharmaceutical research and cyber resilience. The report helps health systems, life sciences companies, colocation operators, cloud and hosting providers, equipment vendors and investors size infrastructure demand while separating public-cloud migrations that leave the market from leased and owned capacity that remains in scope.

Key Attributes

Report attribute

Details

Historical Period

2020-2024

Base Year

2025

Forecast Period

2026-2035

Market Size 2025

USD 15.46 billion

Market Size 2026

USD 17.34 billion

Market Size 2035

USD 37.11 billion

CAGR 2025-2035

9.15% (low 7.13%, high 10.69%)

Leading Region

North America, 46.0%

Report Format

PDF + Excel

How Big Is the Healthcare Data Center Market in 2026?
DC Market Insights values the Healthcare Data Center Market at USD 17.34 billion in 2026, 12.16% above 2025, as backup sites, AI clusters for drug discovery and leased halls for electronic health records are added faster than hospital server rooms close. The model places healthcare IT load at 3,300 MW in 2025 and projects it to double to 6,600 MW by 2035, with accelerator racks taking a larger share of the mix.

Year

Market size

2020

USD 9.77 billion

2025

USD 15.46 billion

2026

USD 17.34 billion (+12.16% year on year)

2030

USD 25.10 billion

2035

USD 37.11 billion

Source: DC Market Insights, Healthcare Data Center Market report, Oct. 22, 2026.

Why Do AI and Research Workloads Raise Healthcare Data Center Spend?
AI infrastructure changes the value of each megawatt. DC Market Insights estimates a conventional healthcare MW carries about USD 3.05 million a year of hardware, while an AI MW carries about USD 8.30 million. That premium comes from GPU systems, high-speed networking, large research datasets and the supporting power and cooling required for accelerated computing. The result is that market value grows faster than healthcare IT load as the accelerator share rises from about 5% in 2025 toward 22% by 2035.

Which Component Leads Healthcare Data Center Spending?
IT hardware remains the largest component, but colocation and hosting services grow faster as providers absorb EHR, imaging, backup and research workloads that institutions no longer want to operate in ageing hospital server rooms.

Component

2025 value

Share 2025

2035 value

CAGR

IT Hardware

USD 10,931.24M

70.7 %

USD 24,479.40M

8.40 %

Colocation and Hosting Services

USD 3,136.32M

20.3 %

USD 9,496.08M

11.72 %

Electrical and Mechanical Infrastructure

USD 967.87M

6.3 %

USD 2,058.14M

7.84 %

Construction and Fit-Out

USD 427.77M

2.8 %

USD 1,078.98M

9.69 %

DC Exclusive: Hospital Data Center Exit Tracker
DC Market Insights tracks 14 named healthcare infrastructure moves from 2014 through 2026. Ten moved workloads to public cloud, two went to colocation and two built new owned sites. The pattern explains why owned data centers can lose share even while the overall market expands: general-purpose EHR estates leave older halls, while AI and research clusters arrive as new owned, wholesale or colocated capacity. The model therefore takes the owned-site share from 60.0% in 2025 toward 45.0% by 2035.

Workload

2025 value

Share 2025

2035 value

CAGR

EHR and Clinical Applications

USD 4,638.95M

30.0 %

USD 8,907.02M

6.74 %

Medical Imaging and PACS

USD 2,783.38M

18.0 %

USD 6,309.14M

8.53 %

AI Genomics and Research Computing

USD 2,297.83M

14.9 %

USD 10,777.50M

16.71 %

Claims and Revenue Cycle

USD 2,010.22M

13.0 %

USD 4,082.39M

7.34 %

Backup and Disaster Recovery

USD 2,164.85M

14.0 %

USD 4,453.51M

7.48 %

Collaboration and Other Workloads

USD 1,567.97M

10.1 %

USD 2,583.04M

5.12 %

Which Region Leads the Healthcare Data Center Market?

North America leads because the United States combines a large installed hospital base, near-universal certified EHR adoption and significant pharmaceutical research infrastructure. Asia Pacific grows fastest as India, China and other markets add local capacity under health-data localization and digital-health programs.

Indicator

2025 / Base

Outlook

Leading region

North America, 46.0% (USD 7.11B)

USD 15.77B by 2035; remains the largest regional spending pool

Fastest-growing region

Asia Pacific, 11.72% CAGR

Reaches USD 9.83B by 2035 as India and China add domestic health-data capacity

Fastest large country

India, 18.37% CAGR

USD 247.41M in 2025 to USD 1.34B by 2035

Largest country

United States, USD 6.49B in 2025

Remains the largest national market through the forecast

How Could the 2035 Forecast Change?

The 2035 outcome depends on how quickly hospital EHR estates move to public cloud, how much pharmaceutical AI is purchased as cloud capacity rather than dedicated infrastructure, and how strongly resilience rules push institutions to maintain recoverable private or colocated capacity.

Scenario

Assumption

2035 value

CAGR 2025-2035

Low

Faster EHR migration to public cloud; more pharma AI bought as cloud capacity

USD 30.80B

7.13 %

Base

Healthcare IT load reaches 6,600 MW; 22% on AI racks; 55% leased

USD 37.11B

9.15 %

High

Stricter 72-hour restore requirements and more drug makers build owned AI factories

USD 42.68B

10.69 %

Competitive Landscape and Recent Developments
The five largest colocation providers account for about 31% of the USD 3.14 billion healthcare colocation and hosting market in 2025, leaving the sector fragmented. Competition spans colocation, EHR hosting, cloud services, AI hardware and the power and cooling systems required for hospital and life-sciences infrastructure.

Companies profiled include:

Equinix; Digital Realty; Iron Mountain Data Centers; CyrusOne; NTT DATA; Epic Systems (Epic Hosting); Oracle (Oracle Health); Microsoft (Nuance); Amazon Web Services; Google Cloud; Dell Technologies; Hewlett Packard Enterprise; NVIDIA; Cisco Systems; Schneider Electric; Vertiv.

In July 2026, WellSpan Health completed the move of more than 300 applications and 7.5 PB of data to AWS in 17 weeks.In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requested USD 4.2 billion for its EHR in fiscal 2027, including USD 745 million for infrastructure readiness.In February 2026, Eli Lilly’s LillyPod AI factory with more than 9,000 petaflops went live in Indianapolis.In February 2026, five Ontario hospitals in Transform Shared Service Organization moved their EHR to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, cutting page-load time by 71%.In January 2026, NVIDIA and Eli Lilly agreed to invest up to USD 1 billion over five years in an AI co-innovation lab.In November 2025, India notified the DPDP Rules with an 18-month phased timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the size of the Healthcare Data Center Market?
USD 15.46 billion in 2025 and USD 17.34 billion in 2026, projected to reach USD 37.11 billion by 2035 at a 9.15% CAGR.

Which component leads the market?
IT hardware, with USD 10.93 billion or 70.7% of 2025 spending.

Which workload grows fastest?
AI genomics and research computing, at 16.71% a year through 2035.

Which healthcare end user spends the most?
Hospitals and health systems, with USD 7.27 billion or 47.0% of 2025 market value.

Which region leads?
North America with USD 7.11 billion or 46.0% of 2025 value; Asia Pacific grows fastest at 11.72% a year.

Who are the leading suppliers?
Equinix, Digital Realty, Iron Mountain Data Centers, CyrusOne and NTT DATA are among the leading colocation providers, alongside major healthcare hosting, cloud, hardware and infrastructure vendors.

Methodology

DC Market Insights builds the healthcare data center market bottom-up from 3,300 MW of healthcare IT load in 2025 and spending per MW for hardware, colocation and hosting, electrical and mechanical infrastructure, and construction and fit-out. The model separates conventional and AI MW, applies leased-capacity economics, and reconciles end-user, workload, deployment, regional and country splits to the total market before applying forecast assumptions.

Download Sample Report – Healthcare Data Center Market

Related Reports from DC Market Insights
Data Center Colocation Market
AI Data Center Market
Data Center Outsourcing Market
Multi-Tenant Data Center Market
Data Center Virtualization Market

DC Market Insights Data & Tools

Explore live datasets and decision tools used across DC Market Insights research:

Data Center Database
Data Center Map
Data Center Operators
Global Capacity Tracker
Deal Tracker
Power & Policy Tracker
PUE Calculator
Construction Pipeline
Deal Comps
Site Risk
Electricity Rates
Data Center Footprint

About DC Market Insights

DC Market Insights is a dedicated research and consulting firm that empowers data center leaders with actionable intelligence. We combine rigorous market research, advanced analytics and practical advisory support to help organizations make confident decisions in an increasingly complex digital infrastructure landscape. Our goal is to transform data into clarity, giving clients the ability to act decisively on strategy, investment and execution.

Contact Us
DC Market Insights
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Email: sales@dcmarketinsights.com
United States: +1 628 262 7656
United Kingdom: +44 7453 598 606
Web: www.dcmarketinsights.com

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City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago Unites Industry Leaders for Health Technology Innovation Roundtable

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48 minutes ago

on

October 23, 2026

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CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Faster access to care, more affordable treatment and policies that support innovation were central themes of a Health Technology Innovation Roundtable convened by City of Hope® Cancer Center Chicago on Thursday, October 15, at its hospital in Zion.

The discussion brought together Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and leaders from City of Hope, Vantive and Zocdoc to examine how technology can help bend the health care cost curve, connect patients with care sooner and expand access to specialized treatment.

“Thank you to City of Hope in Zion for graciously hosting our recent roundtable to discuss how emerging health technologies are shaping patient care, access, and affordability,” said Schneider. “I am proud to represent a district where so many people work in the life sciences field to advance innovation. This convening was an important opportunity to hear directly from health technology innovators about the progress they are making to better connect patients with lifesaving care and how we can work together. I will continue to partner with City of Hope and the health technology experts throughout our district to ensure more people have access to the cutting-edge treatment and testing they deserve.”

The conversation spanned digital appointment scheduling, home dialysis, surgical robotics, artificial intelligence and remote monitoring. Zocdoc’s digital marketplace connects patients with available appointments, helping fill openings that might otherwise go unused. Vantive’s work in kidney care, including home dialysis, illustrated how technology can expand options for where and how patients receive treatment.  City of Hope’s experience with advanced surgery and wearable devices highlighted opportunities to bring specialized expertise closer to patients and support recovery at home.

“Technological advancements continue to evolve rapidly, and keeping up with them can feel like a job unto itself,” said Pete Govorchin, president of City of Hope Chicago. “Having an opportunity to pause and reflect on the progress we have seen thus far, as well as look ahead to what’s next alongside a distinguished panel of respected professionals, is critical.”

The discussion also addressed barriers that can keep innovation from reaching patients, including state licensing requirements, limited broadband, outdated regulations and reimbursement challenges. Access for rural communities and veterans was a recurring concern, alongside the need to measure how new technologies improve outcomes and reduce avoidable costs.

“As both a developer and adopter of advanced surgical technologies, City of Hope is well positioned to provide practical, evidence-based insights into how robotic surgery and other procedures, delivered remotely, could improve access, enhance quality, and support the future of patient-centered care,” said Dr. Yuman Fong, a City of Hope surgical oncologist.

Joining Schneider, Govorchin and Fong were Chris Toth, CEO of Vantive; Kyle Jackson, Vantive’s executive director of government affairs and market development; and Ilyssa Meyer, Zocdoc’s director of government affairs.

“I was proud to be part of an important convening of health technology experts discussing how we can continue to work together to connect more patients to care and innovative treatment. Rep. Schneider’s leadership on the bipartisan, bicameral Health ACCESS Act is an important next step in turning the innovations discussed at the recent roundtable into broader access to care,” added Meyer. “By reducing barriers to digital health services and online appointment scheduling, the bill can help connect more patients with the care they need.”

About City of Hope

City of Hope’s mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, Orange County, California, campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope™. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.  

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SOURCE City of Hope Cancer Center Chicago

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Kin Becomes First U.S. Home Insurer to Enable WebMCP for AI Shopping

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48 minutes ago

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October 23, 2026

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Consumers can now use ChatGPT to efficiently shop Kin’s digital home insurance experience

CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building on its recent announcement that AI shopping agents like Meta’s Muse are welcome to shop on Kin.com, Kin is making its digital home insurance experience even easier for AI to shop. Kin, the direct-to-consumer provider of insurance and home finance solutions for homeowners, today announced that it has enabled WebMCP in its digital quoting experience. The new capability gives ChatGPT a faster and more efficient way to interact with Kin.com on a consumer’s behalf.

Homeowners can go from their AI agent prompt to a customized Kin home insurance quote ready for purchase in minutes due to the data-informed Kin.com quoting process.

“We said that Kin will win the AI shopping experience, and we meant it,” said Kin Founder and CEO Sean Harper. “People are going to increasingly ask AI to do the tedious work of shopping for them. We want someone to be able to tell ChatGPT, ‘Help me shop for home insurance,’ and make it incredibly easy for that AI agent to shop Kin.”

Unlike plug-ins that require installation, WebMCP is an open web standard which lets AI agents work directly with Kin.com, creating a more efficient way to interact with Kin’s digital experience, and making it easier for them to help consumers shop for home insurance. For consumers, that means AI can do more of the repetitive work involved in insurance shopping, while Kin makes its experience easier for those AI agents to navigate. 

Built for the Way Consumers Will Shop

The launch builds on Kin’s announcement that it would welcome Meta’s Muse and other AI shopping agents to Kin.com rather than block them. In Kin’s testing, Muse was able to retrieve home insurance quotes after asking consumers only a handful of questions. Likewise, with ChatGPT, Kin testing found consumers could easily price out home insurance in a clear side-by-side view with minimal questions. The technology improves daily, and Kin is committed to implementing open standards like WebMCP, which ChatGPT supports for paid users on its browser-based platform. While free ChatGPT accounts cannot use this protocol, consumers can still easily get a quote at kin.com.

Kin was built to sell home insurance directly to consumers through a digital experience, without relying on external agents. It also analyzes thousands of data points about individual homes, meaning much of the information needed to generate a quote can already be gathered without asking the homeowner.

“We didn’t have to reinvent Kin for AI shopping,” Harper said. “We already built a direct digital experience, we already have the data to answer most of the questions about a home, and we don’t depend on someone in the middle to sell the product. AI shopping rewards a lot of the things we’ve been building for years.”

A New Way to Shop for Insurance

Kin expects AI agents to become increasingly capable of helping consumers gather information, understand coverage and shop across insurance providers. As those capabilities improve, Kin plans to continue making its digital experience easier for both people and the AI agents working on their behalf.

“Five years from now, opening a bunch of browser tabs and filling out the same information over and over is going to seem pretty antiquated,” Harper said. “You’ll tell your AI what you need and it will go do the work. We’ve built Kin to win in that world.”

About Kin
Kin helps homeowners save money, simplify tasks, and protect their most valuable assets. By offering direct-to-consumer digital home and auto insurance alongside home finance services, the company focuses on supporting underserved homeowners in states with high catastrophic risk. Kin provides more convenient and affordable home and auto insurance coverage by eliminating the need for external agents and analyzing thousands of data points to provide transparent, accurate pricing. Kin’s AI-native technology platform delivers a seamless customer experience, customized options, and fast, high-quality service. To learn more, visit www.kin.com.

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SOURCE Kin Insurance, Inc.

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