Shows
Digital Health ForwardVijay Kedar, Tomorrow Health, on Healthcare at HomeIn this episode, we meet Vijay Kedar, Co-Founder and CEO of Tomorrow Health. Tomorrow Health is a technology-driven healthcare company changing the way individuals and families manage healthcare at home. They are partnered with over 125 health insurers and provider organizations to coordinate and deliver home-based care for their members. To support their ambitious vision, they have raised $32.5M from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Obvious Ventures, Box Group, Rainfall Ventures and CEOs and founders of Tenet Healthcare, DoorDash, Flatiron Health, Oscar Health, Quartet Health, Casper, Moat and PillPack.In 2021, Business Insider listed Tomorrow Health as one of the...
2022-01-1439 min
Digital Health ForwardChrissy Farr, OMERS Ventures, on Breaking News and Fueling InnovationIn this episode, we meet Chrissy Farr, Principal at OMERS Ventures. Previously, she was a writer and frequent on-air contributor for CNBC, Fast Company and Reuters News, among other publications. She was raised in London, UK, and received degrees from University College London and Stanford University.Over the last five years, OMERS Ventures has invested more than $340 million of capital in nearly 30 disruptive technology companies across North America, creating over 5,000 jobs, and attracting an additional $1.2 billion for portfolio companies. Their portfolio companies include: 360insights, AmpMe, Busbud, Citizen Hex, D2L, DCG, Fusebill, Hootsuite, Hopper, Interaxon, Jobber, Kaleo...
2021-12-1124 min
Digital Health ForwardDan Brillman, Unite Us, on the Future of Whole-Person HealthIn this episode, we meet Dan Brillman, Co-founder and CEO of Unite Us. Unite Us is the leading outcome focused coordination technology company connecting healthcare, gov’t, and social services together to address the social determinants of health. Together, these partners are leading the care transformation movement towards whole-person care.Unite Us recently closed a $150M Series C financing round led by ICONIQ Growth, valuing the company at over $1.6B. Investors in the round include Emerson Collective, Optum Ventures and Transformation Capital, as well as existing investors, Define Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Town Hall Ventures, and several he...
2021-10-0333 min
Digital Health ForwardPaxton Maeder-York, Alife Health, on the Future of FertilityIn this episode, we meet Paxton Maeder-York, CEO and Founder of Alife Health. Alife Health’s mission is to improve the efficacy and affordability of IVF through artificial intelligence. Founded in 2020, Alife recently raised a $9.5M seed round, led by Lux Capital.Founded in 2020, Alife recently raised a $9.5M seed round, led by Lux Capital. Other investment firms include Amplo, IA Ventures and Springbank Collective, as well as angel investors such as Anne Wojcicki, the founder and CEO of 23andMe; Fred Moll, the founder of Intuitive Surgical and Auris; and Amira Yahyaoui, the founder of Mos and Se...
2021-09-1328 min
Digital Health ForwardHarpreet Singh Rai, ŌURA, on Owning Your HealthIn this episode, we meet Harpreet Singh Rai, CEO of ŌURA. ŌURA is the company behind the Oura Ring — a wearable health platform that delivers daily, personalized sleep, and overall health insights. With precise data and personalized guidance, ŌURA helps people better understand their health and live healthier, more fulfilled lives. To-date, ŌURA has sold 500,000 rings across 100+ countries.ŌURA has raised $148M in total funding to-date, recently closing a $100M Series C financing round led by The Chernin Group and Elysian Park; health investors Temasek, JAZZ Venture Partners, and Eisai Co., Ltd.; growth investors Bedford Ridge and One Capital...
2021-08-0842 min
Digital Health ForwardFlorian Otto, Cedar, on Revolutionizing the Consumer Financial Experience in HealthcareIn this episode, we meet Florian Otto, Co-Founder and CEO of Cedar. Cedar is a healthcare financial technology platform that enables a better and more transparent financial experience for consumers.Cedar has raised approximately $350M in total funding to-date, recently closing a $200M Series D financing round led by Tiger Global Management, bringing the company’s total valuation to $3.2B. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Thrive Capital and Concord Health Partners also participated in the round. In May 2021, Cedar announced it had acquired OODA Health, a healthcare technology company focused on improving the healthcare administrative experience wi...
2021-07-2538 min
Digital Health ForwardMatt Miller, Techstars, on Digital Health Startup AccelerationIn this episode, we meet Matt Miller, Managing Director of the UnitedHealthcare/Techstars Accelerator. The accelerator is focused on healthcare innovations that support payer and care provider efforts, with an emphasis on digital health and wellness solutions. Techstars has a worldwide network of entrepreneurs, including more than 10,000 mentors, 10,000 investors, 1,600 alumni companies, and over 200 staff members. Historically, on average, Techstars companies go on to raise more than $2M of outside capital after the program.Matt’s background involves a diverse range of pursuits: wilderness guide, startup founder, investor, mental health professional, and behavioral scientist. After his PhD, he wo...
2021-05-1841 min
Digital Health ForwardSami Inkinen, Virta Health, on reversing type 2 diabetes at scaleIn this episode, we meet Sami Inkinen, Co-Founder and CEO of Virta Health. Virta is an online specialty medical clinic that helps people reverse type 2 diabetes & other chronic conditions safely and sustainably, without the risks, costs, or side effects of medications or surgery. Virta’s innovations in nutritional biochemistry, data science and digital tools combined with their clinical expertise are shifting the diabetes treatment paradigm from management to reversal.Virta has experienced a growth rate of nearly 200% year over year, and now works with over 100 of the largest health plans, employers, and government organizations and treats patients in...
2021-04-3047 min
Digital Health ForwardLeo Grady, Paige, on transforming precision medicine through AIIn this episode, we meet Leo Grady, CEO of Paige. Paige is a global leader in AI-based software in pathology with a mission to drive the future of precision medicine. Paige is committed to transforming the diagnostics space by building an industry-leading portfolio of AI-based clinical applications, biomarkers and diagnostics.Paige recently closed a $125 million Series C round, co-led by Casdin Capital, Johnson & Johnson Innovation and KKR, bringing the company’s total funding to $220 million since its launch in 2018. Paige has been honored as one of Fierce Medtech’s 2020 Fierce 15 companies and a New York Healthcare Innovation: Digi...
2021-04-2035 min
Digital Health ForwardAdam Odessky, Sensely, on Patient Engagement InnovationIn this episode, we meet Adam Odessky, CEO and Co-founder of Sensely. Sensely is an empathy driven conversational platform that introduces an always on connection between insurance companies and healthcare systems and their members or patients. By incorporating the Sensely toolset, enterprises are able to influence behavior, increase engagement, lower costs, and enhance the member experience. Sensely is currently deployed in 10 countries, serving over 3 million users to-date.Sensely has partnerships around the world with organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, the NHS, AXA, Allianz, Nippon Life and more to provide customizable solutions for patient navigation and care management...
2021-04-0543 min
Digital Health ForwardJulia Bernstein, Thirty Madison, on Access for AllIn this episode, we meet Julia Bernstein, General Manager of Platform at Thirty Madison. Thirty Madison provides virtual specialty care through a mix of direct-to-consumer and reimbursable models that includes doctor consults, treatment delivery, and ongoing care. They’re on a mission to make specialized care and treatment accessible to everyone. First with Keeps, a men’s hair loss solution, then with Cove, which focuses on migraine, followed by Evens which treats GI symptoms, and most recently, Picnic for allergies, Thirty Madison is continuously expanding their offerings to find answers to chronic conditions. With a patient-first approach that provides care...
2021-03-2931 min
Digital Health ForwardMatt McCambridge, Eden Health, on Reimagining Primary CareIn this episode, we meet Matt McCambridge, CEO and Co-Founder of Eden Health. Eden Health, offered through employers and commercial real estate building landlords providing health coverage to tenants, combines telehealth, in-person primary care, behavioral health and insurance navigation with what Matt calls a “‘medical home” method, centered around creating trusted relationships between the patient and a dedicated care team. Since launching in 2017, the company has partnered with more than 100 employers and has more than 40,000 covered members. In 2020, recurring revenue grew by 800 percent year-over-year, in part due to the company’s COVID-19 response.Eden Health recently announced a $60 mi...
2021-03-2237 min
Digital Health ForwardNatasha Prasad, Cleo, on Helping Working Parents ThriveIn this episode, we meet Natasha Prasad, Chief Customer Officer of Cleo. Cleo is a family benefits platform and support system for working families. With its integrated family benefits platform, Cleo combines proactive, expert guidance with an intuitive engagement hub to help connect families with the support they need to be their best at home and at work. Representing over 55 countries and 100+ enterprise clients — Cleo is reinventing how forward-thinking employers support families that work around the world. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Cleo has raised $44M and is backed by NEA, Greylock Partners, Felicis Ventures, and Forerunner Ventures. Cleo was re...
2021-03-1039 min
Digital Health ForwardLuke Hejl, TimelyMD, on transforming healthcare in higher educationIn this episode, we meet Luke Hejl, Chairman and CEO of TimelyMD. TimelyMD is a telehealth company focused on transforming healthcare in higher education by improving student health, optimizing campus clinic resources and granting peace of mind to both students and parents. TimelyMD currently partners with over 80 campuses, including Duke University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Notre Dame and more. With a recent $60M investment from JMI Equity, TimelyMD plans to continue to tackle the unmet need in higher education for on-demand medical, mental health, and well-being telehealth solutions.TimelyMD has experienced unprecedented growth as...
2021-03-0339 min
Digital Health ForwardLauren Li, Ipsen, on Beyond the Drug innovationIn this episode, we meet Lauren Li, Global Head of Digital Health at Ipsen. Ipsen is a global biopharmaceutical group focused on innovation and Specialty Care in three key therapeutic areas — Oncology, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases. As Global Head of Digital Health, Lauren leads a team to deliver “beyond the drug” solutions for patients, caregivers, physicians, and payors through human-centered design, cross-functional collaboration, and value-based partnerships.Prior to Ipsen, Lauren drove Digital Innovation at Amgen, led Strategy & Operations at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, co-founded a successful family business, and was a consultant at McKinsey & Company in the Toronto of...
2021-02-2437 min
Digital Health ForwardEmily Hochman, Wellory, on reinventing nutritionIn this episode, we meet Emily Hochman, Founder + CEO of Wellory. Wellory is a health tech company reinventing personal nutrition to create a long-lasting, healthier relationship with food. After experimenting with fad diets for years, Emily built Wellory to create an accessible and affordable solution that bridges the disconnect between losing weight and eating healthy. Through Wellory’s user-friendly app, clients match with a Wellory Nutrition Coach to receive ongoing, concierge-level support based on their specific health goals. The mobile service offers science-based, personalized meal planning, photo-based meal logging, and daily communication through its community of nutritionists, certified health co...
2021-02-0726 min
Digital Health ForwardKelsey Mellard, Sitka, on the future of specialty careIn our latest episode, I had a chance to chat with Kelsey Mellard, Founder and CEO of Sitka. Sitka is a peer-to-peer, asynchronous video messaging platform and specialist network. Sitka connects clinicians to top specialists, alleviating the challenges of scheduling and geographic limitations and compressing the cycle of care by enabling rapid decision making. Sitka is backed by Optum Ventures, First Round Capital, Rock Health, Homebrew, Box Group, and Lifeforce Capital.Kelsey shares insights into the role telehealth plays in the transition to value-based care, how Sitka is bringing specialty expertise to the front lines, and the i...
2021-01-2938 min
Digital Health ForwardChaitenya Razdan, Care+Wear, on reimagining healthcare apparelIn this episode, we meet Chaitenya Razdan, Founder and CEO of Care+Wear. Care+Wear is the leading provider of innovative healthwear, focused on bringing humanity into healthcare. In partnership with designers such as Oscar De La Renta, Care+Wear has designed highly functional alternatives to traditional patient gowns, PICC line covers, chest port access tops, recovery bras, and more. In 2020, Care+Wear shipped more than 15M units, creating positive and effective healing experiences for patients and clinicians alike.We discuss Chat’s experiences and lessons learned in establishing a robust approach to designing and developing innovative he...
2021-01-2531 min
Digital Health ForwardNick Hu, Zipline, on the future of healthcare supply chainsIn our latest episode, I had a chance to chat with Nick Hu, an early member of the Global Operations team at Zipline. Nick led the launches of Zipline’s operations in Rwanda and Ghana and continues to drive expansion strategy across Africa. Zipline has built the world's fastest and most reliable delivery drone and the world's largest autonomous logistics network to help provide instant access to life-saving medical supplies in Rwanda, Ghana, and the US. Founded in 2014, Zipline is a Series D company most recently valued at $1.2B, featured on CNBC’s Disruptor 50, and slated by Fast Company as o...
2021-01-1339 min
Digital Health ForwardSari Kaganoff, Rock Health, on the evolution of digital healthIn our latest episode, I had a chance to chat with Sari Kaganoff, General Manager of Consulting at Rock Health. As GM of Consulting, Sari advises healthcare and life sciences companies on digital health strategy. Founded in 2010 by HBS alumni Halle Tecco and Nate Gross, Rock Health is an early stage venture fund that supports startups working in digital health and has an advisory services business that supports enterprise companies. Rock Health keeps a pulse on the digital health industry, publishing annual reports on digital health funding, consumer adoption, equity in digital health and many other topics and also...
2020-12-1527 min
Digital Health ForwardDr. Jeff De Flavio, Groups Recover Together, on Pioneering Addiction TreatmentToday, I had a chance to chat with Dr. Jeff De Flavio, Founder of Groups Recover Together. Groups Recover Together is the leading provider of value-based opiate addiction treatment, and was founded on the mission of making treatment for opioid addiction respectful, accessible, and affordable. Groups has over 60 locations and has over 6000+ patients per week in treatment. In this episode, Jeff shares his founder story: why and how he built Groups to treat opiate addiction. We discuss the origins of the opioid crisis in the United States, why group therapy is a core tenet of treatment addiction, a...
2020-12-0737 min
Digital Health ForwardTushar Mehrotra, Optum, on innovating in analyticsIn this episode, Tushar Mehrotra, SVP of Analytics at Optum, shares his perspectives on the power of data and analytics in healthcare delivery. Tushar chats about his journey from McKinsey to Optum, Optum's approach to health system partnerships, and the most promising advancements in digital health. Optum, a part of UnitedHealthGroup, is powering modern health care by connecting and serving the whole health system across 150 countries. Optum combines cutting-edge technology, the world’s largest health care database and vast expertise to improve health care delivery, quality and efficiency. Optum currently serves more than 100,000 physicians, practices and other hea...
2020-11-1936 min
Digital Health ForwardDan Kennedy, Kyruus, on digital transformation in patient accessIn this episode, Dan Kennedy, who leads Strategy and Corporate Development at Kyruus, shares his perspective on how technology can improve patient access in healthcare. Kyruus, an industry leader in the patient access space, provides search, scheduling and data management solutions to over 300,000 providers across 65+ health systems.
2020-11-1132 min
Digital Health ForwardCarolyn Witte, Tia, on transforming women's healthIn this episode, Carolyn Witte, co-founder and CEO of Tia, shares her story as a founder, leader and healthcare innovator in building a next-generation women's health platform. Carolyn chats about inequities and challenges we face in women's healthcare, her lightbulb moments as a founder and Tia's approach to whole-woman care.
2020-10-3133 min