‘Shark Tank’ Host on HIMSS: ‘No Idea How All These People’ Will ‘Make It’

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) got a surprise visit from Shark Tank host Daymond John during its annual conference in Las Vegas this year.

John—who is the founder, president and CEO of the global fashion brand FUBU and CEO of The Shark Group, in addition to his role as a celebrity investor on ABC’s entrepreneurial reality show—attended the opening keynote address on March 4, given by fellow shark Robert Herjavec.

Herjavec, founder of the cybersecurity firm Cyderes, discussed AI’s rapid evolution and its impact on the health care industry. Connecting with Newsweek after the show, John said an interest in AI drew him to HIMSS.

“I’ve been really digging deep into the biohacking, longevity space over the last two to three years,” John said. “[HIMSS] was something I wanted to come to because of all the technology and AI surrounding this category.”

“I really wanted to see what was out there,” he added.

As it turns out, there’s a lot out there. HIMSS’ global conference has long been a meeting place for health care providers and technology companies, a breeding ground for novel ideas and partnerships. But the event has grown amid surging investments in health care AI and cybersecurity.

Approximately 28,000 health care professionals attended the conference this year, a HIMSS spokesperson told Newsweek. The event saw an increase in executive-level attendees and practitioners, which represented 30 percent of attendees. Nearly 500 speakers took the stage while about 1,000 exhibitors filled the exhibit hall, including major players like Epic, Oracle, Microsoft and Samsung.

Even John, a seasoned businessman, was overwhelmed by the display.

“When I saw that show, when I saw that [exhibit] floor…whew!” he said. “I have no idea how all these people are gonna make it. This is interesting to me.”

Total venture investments in health care companies rose to $14.8 billion in 2024, up 17 percent from 2023, according to a recent analysis from banking group HSBC. Dealroom.co—a data and intelligence provider for startups and tech ecosystems—reported that investors spent $65 billion on health tech, biotech and pharma companies last year. Together, these sectors comprise the second-largest venture capital investment category after enterprise software.

John isn’t the only shark to take an interest in health care. His former co-star Mark Cuban founded the public benefit corporation Cost Plus Drugs in 2022, offering prescription medications at lower prices than most pharmacies. A recent study published in Pharmacoeconomics estimated that in 2021, Medicare Part D would have saved $8.6 billion if it had paid Cost Plus Drugs pricing for generic medications.

As for John, he’s been open about his Stage II thyroid cancer diagnosis since receiving it in 2016. Now in remission, he told Newsweek that health tech innovations have helped him track his own health markers, assess his routines and navigate his condition.

“If the Oura ring didn’t come out a couple years ago, I wouldn’t know if hyperbaric chambers are working for me,” he said. “If you can meet people on their phones and they scan themselves on their own time, in the privacy of their own home, I think a lot of people are going to start addressing some of the [medical] issues that they have. That could potentially be lifesaving.”

John has branded himself as “the health shark” and began collecting contact information from HIMSS attendees who are interested in “joining his mission to promote longevity and health.”

He also offered up some advice for health tech companies attempting to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, recommending that every business start each quarter with three questions: “Why me? Why now? Why this?”

Keeping purpose and personality at the core of a brand—while consistently refreshing the business vision and strategy—can promote longevity.

“The easiest thing to sell is the truth, and when they know that the product they have is bringing people back by itself,” John said, “it’s a very empowering thing.”