Rewiring Pharma: How Software Is Transforming Drug Development & Commercialisation
By James Alford
H Tree Capital is focused where computation and biology converge to unlock extraordinary possibilities.
Pharma is under pressure. Costs are soaring, timelines are tightening, and demands from regulators and payers keep rising. Meanwhile, the science is more complex than ever—think cell therapies and targeted biologics.
But behind the scenes, a quiet shift is gaining momentum: purpose-built software and digital services are now supporting every part of the pharma value chain.
At H Tree Capital, we believe this is one of the most important transformations in healthcare—not just in how we discover medicines, but in how we deliver them to patients.
Why Digital Pharma Services Matter
We’re not talking about AI discovering new molecules (though that’s cool too). We’re talking about digital infrastructure that improves how pharma works:
Automation tools for R&D and clinical ops
Platforms for real-world data
Analytics that protect patient privacy
Assistants for regulatory and medical teams
Integrations that connect legacy and modern systems
In short: better software for better pharma.
A Framework for the Future
We see five core areas where software is unlocking value:
R&D Enablement
AI-driven discovery, lab automation, and integrated data for better target validation.
Clinical Development Infrastructure
Digital trial design, recruitment, site ops, and remote monitoring.
Real-World Data & Evidence (RWE)
Platforms that clean, link, and analyze clinical and real-world data.
Medical Affairs & Commercial Enablement
Compliant tools for field teams, content automation, and omnichannel engagement.
Cross-Cutting Platform Enablers
Privacy-first data systems, AI copilots, FAIR data frameworks, and workflow tools.
What We Look For
We’re backing startups at the intersection of life sciences and tech. The ones we get most excited about tend to have:
Deep domain expertise
Scalable, disease-agnostic architecture
Compliance built in from day one
Strong data moats—via integrations, proprietary sources, or network effects
More and more, we’re seeing AI not as the end-product—but as the accelerant to make slow processes radically faster and smarter.
What’s Next
This is just the start. Over the coming weeks, we’ll go deeper into each layer—sharing what we’re seeing, where the biggest opportunities are, and how we think about investing in this space.
Next up: early-stage R&D tools—and why ‘workflow’ might be science’s most underrated unlock.
Building in this space?
We’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re rethinking trials or building tools for medical teams, drop us a line. The future of pharma isn’t just molecular. It’s modular. It’s digital. And it’s happening now.