As a whole-of-health partner, Spectrum.Life is on a mission to empower organisations and individuals alike, offering clinically backed digital solutions that foster thriving workplaces, engaged communities, and healthier lives.

With a portfolio that spans over 9.8 million insurance members, 3,000 corporate clients, 60 top-tier educational institutions, and a reach of 650,000 university students, Spectrum.Life has rapidly become a global leader in delivering seamlessly integrated, transformational technology. 

We caught up with Stephen to find out what inspired him to found the insurtech – and how his journey has unfolded so far. 

What personal experiences initially sparked the idea for Spectrum.Life? Did you envision the company impacting such a large and diverse range of organisations (insurers, employers, educators) from the beginning?

In 2014, I joined Stuart McGoldrick’s business straight out of university as a Digital Marketing Executive. Initially, my role focused on marketing efforts, but this naturally evolved into web development as I identified opportunities to improve efficiency and enhance the company’s digital presence. This, in turn, opened the door to broader involvement in technology. Stuart and I worked well together, sharing a similar vision for addressing challenges and developing solutions.

At the time, Stuart and his wife, Anne, were entrepreneurs with established businesses such as The Physio Company and GP24, primarily focused on the B2C market. Spectrum.Life emerged as a spin-out from this foundation, driven by the growing demand for mental health and wellbeing services tailored to the corporate sector. Together, we recognised this opportunity to pivot towards a B2B-focused offering.

By 2018, building on these insights and leveraging our shared ambition and vision, Spectrum.Life was launched as a standalone entity. It was designed to address the increasing needs of employers and insurers for innovative digital health solutions, particularly in mental health. While the initial vision centred on creating scalable digital tools, the company’s rapid growth and the pandemic’s acceleration of wellbeing priorities have enabled Spectrum.Life to expand its impact significantly across insurers, employers, and educational institutions. Witnessing the evolution of this journey – from a family business spin-off to a transformative partner for diverse organisations – has been incredibly rewarding.

Building a healthtech company undoubtedly comes with its own set of challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced during the early stages, and how did you and your team overcome them?

Transitioning from a bricks-and-mortar clinical company to building a healthtech business was one of our most significant early challenges. While we had a strong track record in clinical excellence, technology was not a core competency at the time. However, we had a bold vision of what we wanted to achieve – a comprehensive, scalable, and tech-driven platform to transform mental health and wellbeing services. Bridging the gap between our ambitions and capabilities required a steep learning curve and relentless focus.

One of the first hurdles was balancing cultural alignment between a clinical-first mindset and the agility of a tech-focused organisation. The high standards inherent in clinical excellence had to coexist with the fast-paced, iterative nature of technology development. Ensuring that both perspectives worked harmoniously required deliberate efforts in communication, shared goals, and cross-functional collaboration.

We overcame this by investing heavily in building a robust technology foundation. From early-stage app and platform development to embedding data, AI, and content creation into our core operations, the shift was transformative. Bringing in exceptional talent to lead these initiatives, including our CTO, enabled us to scale our technological capabilities rapidly while maintaining clinical integrity.

Today, our technology teams are among the largest in the company, encompassing engineering, content creation, AI, and data analytics. This evolution not only delivered on our original vision but exceeded expectations, creating a platform that has set a new benchmark for mental health and wellbeing solutions in the B2B space. 

With 9.8 million insurance members, 3,000 corporate clients, and over 650,000 university students reached Spectrum.Life has achieved significant scale. Can you share some of the moments that stand out as your greatest accomplishments so far?

Our mission is to change and save as many lives as possible, and that always feels like our greatest impact on the world. In 2024 alone, over 250,000 people will use one of our own healthcare services, nearly 750,000 will access a healthcare service we enable through our technology, and 1,000,000 people will engage with our platform from a content perspective.

These numbers are more than just statistics – they reflect real lives touched, improved, and in many cases, profoundly changed. Achieving this scale has been one of our proudest accomplishments, and it motivates us every day to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in Digital Health. 

Spectrum.Life emphasizes co-creation and seamless integration. Can you delve deeper into how this collaborative approach with clients fuels the innovation behind your digital health solutions?

At Spectrum.Life, we place significant value on partnerships with insurers. It’s not merely about offering a solution – we focus on genuine collaboration. When partnering with insurers, we begin by listening to their challenges and objectives, then work together to co-create tailored solutions.

Our Digital Health Operating System (DHOS) is at the heart of this approach. Through what we refer to as the Digital Front Door, we provide personalised content, services, and tools for their members in a way that is both seamless and engaging.

We have also developed MatchTech, which empowers insurers to design bespoke care pathways aligned with their specific objectives – whether that’s improving health outcomes, reducing claims costs, or enhancing the member experience. Whatever their goals, we are well-equipped to help achieve them.

Furthermore, our Virtual Primary Care Platform integrates various services and providers into a unified system. This ensures that members experience a smooth and cohesive care journey, avoiding the fragmentation often associated with healthcare services.

When we collaborate with insurers, we don’t arrive with an off-the-shelf solution. Instead, we bring modular components and work hand-in-hand to co-create a proposition that integrates everything in a way that meets their needs and exceeds their expectations. It is this collaborative approach that drives the innovation behind our digital health solutions.

Balancing growth with maintaining the quality of services is crucial. How has Spectrum.Life ensured its impact remains positive and effective as the company scales to serve millions?

Balancing growth with maintaining service quality lies at the heart of everything we do. As we scale to serve millions, we remain intentional in ensuring our impact remains both positive and effective. This commitment is something we take very seriously, and our approach prioritises clinical excellence over commercial imperatives.

A cornerstone of this effort is the guidance of our Clinical Advisory Board, chaired by Dr Paula Franklin, former Group Chief Medical Officer of Bupa, alongside our Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Emelina Ellis. Their leadership ensures that all decisions are firmly rooted in evidence-based practices and the highest standards of clinical governance. This means that as we grow, the quality of our services is never compromised.

We have also invested significantly in talent, particularly in mental health and wellbeing professionals. Our priority is to ensure they are equipped with the resources and tools needed to deliver exceptional care, even as our reach expands. This is complemented by our use of technology—our platform is designed to scale while continuing to provide a personalised experience for every member. It is about ensuring that every individual feels supported, regardless of the number of people we serve.

Feedback is another critical element of our approach. Continuous feedback loops with users and clients allow us to refine and adapt our services as needs evolve. Additionally, we place great emphasis on building strong, value-aligned partnerships, which enhance our ability to deliver impactful, high-quality solutions.

At every stage, our decisions are grounded in clinical integrity. While growth is exciting, it must always serve to enhance our mission, not detract from it. By staying true to our purpose and committing to excellence, we ensure that each step forward is both meaningful and beneficial to those we serve.

Mental health is a core component of Spectrum.Life’s offerings. Can you share your perspective on the importance of integrating mental health support within a holistic health approach for organisations and individuals?

Mental health is inseparable from overall wellbeing—there’s no health without mental health. We believe that integrating mental health into a holistic approach is essential for fostering resilience and balance for individuals and creating thriving, productive environments for organisations.

One way we achieve this is through our Stepped Care Model, which ensures that people receive the right type of intervention based on their specific needs and presentation. Mental health is incredibly complex, and support is a scarce commodity. Our model, powered by a blend of clinical expertise and advanced technology, ensures that individuals access the most appropriate intervention at the right time. This not only maximises outcomes and satisfaction but also ensures that these valuable resources are distributed equitably.

For individuals, this integrated approach addresses physical, emotional, and mental needs together, promoting true, sustainable wellbeing. For organisations, it means tackling challenges like stress, burnout, and absenteeism at their roots, leading to healthier people, stronger teams, and ultimately, thriving workplaces.

By weaving mental health support into the bigger picture of health and wellbeing, the impact is transformative—both for individuals navigating their personal journeys and for organisations striving to create environments where their people can truly flourish.

Looking back, are there any decisions or strategies that, in hindsight, you would approach differently? How have these experiences shaped your leadership and Spectrum.Life’s future direction?

One area that comes to mind is some of our early decisions around system choices and data infrastructure. These decisions were made at a time when we were still understanding the scale and potential of our vision. Today, we’ve built our Digital Health Operating System on top of Salesforce, which provides us with incredible scalability and global capability. However, the transition to this platform – and the legacy of those earlier decisions – has been a complex journey. It’s a reminder of how foundational choices can shape the trajectory of an organisation.

As a leader, I’ve learned that every day presents an opportunity for growth, whether it’s refining strategy, motivating our team, or aligning everyone around our mission. These experiences have reinforced the importance of adaptability and learning from every step, both good and challenging.

For Spectrum.Life, these lessons have sharpened our focus on building scalable, future-proof solutions that can support our long-term ambitions while also ensuring we remain aligned with our mission to positively impact as many lives as possible. It’s about being forward-looking while never losing sight of the core values that brought us here.

The healthtech landscape is constantly evolving. What exciting trends or developments do you see shaping the future of this industry, and how is Spectrum.Life positioning itself to adapt and continue leading the way?

As technology continues to evolve, the potential for digital health will only grow.  

As we move into 2025, the emphasis in health-tech will be on creating an ecosystem that prioritises predictive, personalised, and preventive care. The integration of AI, wearable technologies, and comprehensive data analytics will enable a more proactive approach to health management, shifting the focus from treating illnesses to preventing them. Emerging technologies will enhance chronic disease management by providing predictive analytics and personalised treatment recommendations.

Imagine a future where AI algorithms analyse data from wearable devices and mobile health apps to predict disease flare-ups before they occur, or, a scenario where telemedicine platforms use machine learning to provide real-time, personalised advice based on a patient’s unique health profile. The possibilities are endless, and the future looks promising.

The goal for 2025 is to build a healthcare experience that feels natural and intuitive, where technology empowers users to take charge of their wellbeing. By embracing these innovations, the industry is set to deliver more efficient, accessible, and patient-centered solutions.

Don’t forget, digital health solutions not only improve quality of life but also reduce acute care needs, hospitalisations, and long-term healthcare costs.

Managing a company of 300 colleagues serving millions is a significant undertaking. What keeps you and your team motivated day in and day out? What advice would you offer aspiring entrepreneurs in the healthtech space?

Leading a team of 300 colleagues to serve nearly 10 million people is both a great responsibility and an incredible privilege. What truly keeps us motivated is our shared commitment to making a meaningful impact. At Spectrum.Life, we’re not just delivering services; we’re actively improving people’s health, mental health, and wellbeing. Our mission to change and save as many lives as possible is the driving force behind everything we do.

What fuels us daily is seeing the tangible outcomes of our work – whether it’s a heartfelt message from someone who found life-changing support through our platform, or a company reporting a transformation in its workplace culture thanks to our solutions. These moments remind us of the difference we’re making and inspire us to keep innovating and pushing boundaries.

For aspiring entrepreneurs in the healthtech space, my advice is to stay relentlessly focused on the people you are serving. 

Healthcare is deeply personal, and the solutions you build must always address real needs with empathy and precision. Invest in your team, foster a culture of innovation, and don’t be afraid to make bold, forward-looking decisions. Ultimately, your success will come from staying true to your mission and consistently delivering value to those who rely on you.

Join Spectrum.Life Leaders in Hong Kong at Insurtech Insights Asia 2024 

Join Spectrum.Life founders Stephen Costello and Stuart McGoldrick as they take to the stage at Insurtech Insights Asia 2024 that opens on December 4th at The Kerry Hotel in Hong Kong. Both Costello and McGoldrick will be speaking live on stage, about the potential of technology and wellbeing in the insurance industry.

Interview by Joanna England