Bain and Company dug into the Big Question surrounding AI–is there any real ROI there? How can companies get there? Their ‘to date’ results are not exactly stellar.

• Nearly 40% of companies that measured AI cost savings landed below 10%. Another 29% achieved 11-20%. Neither are huge savings.
• Yet 90% of companies are increasing their AI budgets, again. How they’re funding it? 44% of companies are funding it from prior automation savings that have consistently come in below target.
• The operating reality is far more human, with only 7% of companies running fully autonomous agents in production today.
• Data access and integration are the number one barriers to AI progress

Despite all this, Bain (of course) states that companies shouldn’t wait, that they need to close the gap between the business case and the operating reality. Their conclusions sound sensible, but to this Editor, they won’t necessarily bend the cost savings curve. And they sound like expensive, time-consuming work, further reducing initial cost savings:

1. Pay down your workflow debt before deploying AI. Fix that before you automate it because it will be far more difficult afterwards.
2. Validate the investment case and name a governance owner before programs launch.
3. Use AI to solve the data problem; don’t wait for the data problem to be solved first. Automate one high-value, repeatable workflow and replace it with AI.
4. Redesign the operating model, not just the process.
5. Measure outcomes at the enterprise level, not the program level. Leaders must decide that they have a personal responsibility to create the organizational conditions for AI success. 

Your AI Budget Is Growing. Your Returns Aren’t. Here’s Why.

Our second report is on innovation in the women’s health sector. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) examines trends in the venture-backed women’s health sector, which has grown into the full spectrum of women’s health needs. The sector is (finally) starting to thrive. Highlights:

• $2 billion in venture capital was invested in women’s health in 2025. While this marked a dip from 2024’s peak, projections show a rebound in both deal volume and total funding for 2026.
• $6.2 billion since 2019 has been invested into companies addressing women-specific conditions. 210 new startups dedicated to solving women-specific health challenges were launched from 2019 through 2025. 
• The median pre-money valuation for AI-enabled women’s health companies is up to $35 million.
• Women’s health startups using AI to personalize care are commanding valuations triple those of their non-AI counterparts.

The downloadable SVB report is here.

One of those women-founded companies, Ladder Health. announced seed funding of $7 million this week. The seed round was (happily) oversubscribed and led by Nina Capital, with participation from Mairs & Power Venture Capital, South Dakota First Capital, and incubating partner 25madison Health. Other investors in this round include Hatteras Venture Partners, Create Health Ventures, Jumpstart Capital, White Oak Enterprises, Groove Capital, and 7Rock Ventures. (Whew!) Ladder Health delivers speech, occupational, physical and feeding therapy through a virtual-first, AI-enabled platform available evenings and weekends. Their service is targeted to areas where pediatricians and developmental therapies are in short supply, wait lists are long, and to underserved Medicaid beneficiaries. It is currently available in three states, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maryland across 80 providers. The additional financing will support expansion in those states and others, as well as investment in the care platform. Ladder is based in NYC. It was developed in conjunction with clinical experts at Boston Children’s Hospital. Release, MedCity News

And lest we forget. Luigi Mangione, the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on the dark morning of 4 December 2024, is still in the preliminaries of his New York State trial for intentional second-degree murder. His defense team from Agnifilo Intrater had filed to use a psychiatric defense based on Mangione suffering from an “extreme emotional disturbance” (EED), but that was withdrawn one day after it had been filed with Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Gregory Carro. It was a surprising development, as the admission could have reduced the charges to manslaughter, though it is tantamount to admitting the crime.

Based on reports, Mangione may be able to introduce EED through his own testimony, or that of the prosecution. Much of the evidence found in his backpack when Mangione was picked up at the Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s was excluded from the NYS trial, as well as two charges of terrorism and first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty to state murder and weapons charges.

Mangione’s trial is scheduled to start on 8 September. He faces additional trials in the Federal Southern District of NY as well as Pennsylvania state charges. Law.com discusses the EED strategy. CNN, Beckers