Where Private Capital Is Quietly Flowing in 2026

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-12

Investment ambitions across the EU for AI and HealthTech are expansive. The EU's InvestAI initiative aims to mobilize €200 billion (about $215 billion) for artificial intelligence, including funding for major AI infrastructure. That's not pocket change — it's a signal about where the continent thinks the future is heading. The European Commission and the European Investment Bank Group have also launched BioTechEU to mobilize €10 billion (roughly $10.8 billion) for biotech and life sciences in 2026 and 2027. That investment push comes as AI and healthcare are becoming increasingly popular among wealthy private investors globally. The UBS Global Family Office Report 2026, for example, found that 65% of family offices were already invested in AI, and 33% were allocated to AI-enabled healthcare. Below, we'll explore why so much private capital is moving towards AI and HealthTech. ### Investing in AI and HealthTech in 2026 The scale of the EU's investment and infrastructure plans shows how strategically important AI has become. Infrastructure is one of the clearest examples. In July 2026, the EU requested up to seven AI Gigafactories, backed by up to €10 billion (about $10.8 billion) in EU and national funding and expected to unlock at least €20 billion (around $21.5 billion) in additional private investment across the Union. Life sciences are also an important part of the EU economy, already contributing nearly €1.5 trillion (about $1.6 trillion) in value and supporting 29 million jobs. The EU is now trying to increase investment further through initiatives such as BioTechEU, which is designed to mobilize €10 billion (roughly $10.8 billion) for biotechnology and life sciences investment during 2026 and 2027. The European Commission's wider life sciences strategy also includes measures to make it easier to fund multi-country clinical trials and €300 million (about $323 million) to stimulate the procurement of life sciences innovations, including next-generation vaccines and affordable cancer solutions. As investment moves into high-growth sectors, investors can also explore private-market opportunities through firms operating across venture capital, private equity and real estate markets. ### AI and HealthTech Sector Growth The EU has a massive life sciences industry with major research institutions, healthcare systems, and rapidly expanding AI infrastructure, which helps explain investor interest. By April 2026, 19 AI Factories had been deployed across European supercomputers, supported by 13 regional AI Factory antennas, giving researchers, startups and businesses greater access to AI computing capacity. EU and participating EuroHPC countries have committed more than €2.6 billion (around $2.8 billion) to the AI Factories and Antennas initiative. Then you've got the healthcare side. The European Health Data Space is designed to make health data easier to access and reuse securely across the EU for research, innovation and regulatory purposes, creating potentially valuable infrastructure for areas such as medical research and AI development. Other EU projects include building specialist datasets, including Cancer Image Europe, which is expected to provide access to 60 million cancer images by the end of 2026, and the 1+ Million Genomes initiative, which aims to provide secure access to genomic and associated clinical data. Interestingly, the EU is also trying to move AI from research into clinical settings. In 2026, the European Commission made €9 million (about $9.7 million) available for two large-scale pilots of AI-powered medical imaging, covering technologies such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI, PET and ultrasound. For investors, the attraction is that HealthTech is moving beyond laboratory research into real-world clinical testing and EU-backed deployment programs. ### Massive Capital Rotation From High-Net-Worth Investors It's difficult to track exactly what every high-net-worth individual is investing in. Much private investment isn't publicly disclosed. Family offices tell us they're watching these sectors closely — but they're also cautious. Here's the pattern that keeps coming up: - AI infrastructure is seen as the "picks and shovels" play — less glamorous, but steadier - AI-enabled healthcare offers longer timelines but potentially bigger payoffs - Public EU funding acts as a de-risking signal for private co-investment - Data assets, like health records and imaging sets, are becoming investable in their own right What's clear is that the money isn't chasing hype alone. It's following infrastructure, policy support, and real clinical deployment. That combination is what makes 2026 feel different from the AI cycles that came before it.