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Counsel Health launches with $11M in seed funding to deliver AI-enabled medical advice
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NEW YORK—Oct. 22, 2024—Counsel Health announces $11M in Seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, with participation from Asymmetric Capital Partners, Floodgate Fund, and Pear VC. The funding will support Counsel's national expansion and coverage extension to millions more members.
The U.S. healthcare system has an access-to-care crisis, with 60 million Americans facing primary care shortages and patients waiting 38 days for appointments. Meanwhile, demand for messaging-based medical advice has surged, with patient inbox messages increasing sixfold, contributing to physician burnout and delayed responses.
Founded by a team of physicians and engineers, Counsel's mission is to improve access to care by providing patients with high-quality, personalized medical advice from expert physicians within minutes. By offering on-demand guidance, Counsel reduces unnecessary hospital visits, eases the provider burden, and improves the patient experience.
"The power of technology lies in its ability to make the best version of something available to everyone," said Dr. Alagappan. "Access to high-quality healthcare advice remains a global challenge, but Counsel's AI-embedded virtual medical practice breaks that barrier by enabling everyone to feel like they have a doctor in the family."
At the core of Counsel's model is an AI-native "clinician cockpit" that integrates patients' medical records, specialty guidelines, and academic research, enabling physicians to respond with more efficiency and quality. "Counsel's hybrid structure—part software company, research lab, and medical practice—uniquely positions it to deliver a care experience that hasn't been possible until now," said Nancy Chou, partner at Asymmetric Capital Partners.
Counsel currently serves tens of thousands of patients through its health plan and provider partnerships in California, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and Texas, and plans to expand nationwide over the next two years.
Over time, Counsel's innovative approach could even spark the creation of a new medical specialty—Asynchronous Medicine—where providers specialize in messaging-based care. "Counsel's technology has made asynchronous care more sustainable and efficacious," said Julie Yoo, general partner at a16z Bio + Health. "Counsel thoughtfully integrates AI with physicians, ensuring care remains safe, personalized, and effective. We're excited to support Counsel's transformative journey."
Counsel Health is the AI-enabled virtual care company serving as the new MD + AI front door to healthcare for payers, employers, and health systems. Its clinically responsible model combines in-house doctors with medical AI to deliver immediate care that safely resolves nearly all member concerns in minutes. By replacing outdated modes of access like nurse triage lines and telehealth, Counsel helps payers reduce high-cost claims, amplify existing benefits, and strengthen member engagement for the AI era.
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