Why Preventive Health Is Moving Mainstream

Note: The following contributions are personal impulses from Max Eckel. They represent individual reflections and are intended to stimulate discussion and further thought.

I'm a father. I almost never go to the doctor. Nothing hurts. Nothing feels urgent. So I postpone it. If I’m honest, there are probably things worth checking. Blood values. Stress levels. Sleep. Small lifestyle adjustments that could compound over 10 or 20 years. But prevention rarely feels pressing.

That mindset is exactly what Circle Health is building against. The Berlin-based startup, co-founded by WHU alum Jannik Tiedemann (BSc 2015 / Prime29), just raised €9m to build an AI-powered preventive health platform. Circle combines comprehensive diagnostics with AI-based analysis and medical experts. Blood panels, health history, lifestyle data. The output is a structured, personalized action plan. Health as an ongoing system. Not an occasional appointment.

When I spoke to Jannik, he highlighted 2 convictions: In Germany, many people treat health as something the system manages for them. You go to a doctor once something shows up, and then it's the doctor's job to fix it. Building a company forces a different mindset. As a founder, responsibility stays with you.

Inside Circle, that also plays out culturally. Startup operators work alongside doctors, therapists, and healthcare professionals. Different training, different language, different expectations. Leading that mix requires a distinct approach. Jannik said that this shaped him deeply as a person.

Preventive health is a massive market. Healthcare systems across Europe are under pressure. Chronic diseases drive a large share of costs. Early detection and behavioral change are economically powerful levers. €9m in fresh capital is a strong signal that investors believe prevention will move from niche to mainstream.

For me, this hits home. If I want to be there for my family as long as possible, “nothing feels wrong” is probably not the right benchmark.

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