Open Access

Stefan Tönnissen, Frank Teuteberg

• Blockchain is seen as having high potential for the healthcare industry. In addition to the technological properties of the blockchain, crowd funding via Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) has also become a significant way of financing for start-ups in the healthcare industry. These ICOs are significantly different from familiar funding channels and therefore require intensive consideration of the factors relevant to success. Numerous papers have explored the success factors, but without considering the specifics of the healthcare industry. We fill this research gap and, based on hypotheses and a quantitative analysis of freely available data, show the factors relevant to the healthcare industry for a successful ICO. As a result, we show clear differences to the previously known success factors for ICOs and thus prove that the success factors of ICOs require an industry-specific consideration. Start-ups receive valuable advice on how to design a successful ICO. For the scientific community, there are starting points for further research into the success of ICOs.