Home Healthcare Gets a Boost with $55M Investment

A new player has entered the healthcare scene, aiming to bring medical services right to people's doorsteps. Sprinter Health is a startup that offers at-home preventative care. This includes things like blood tests, eye checks for diabetes, and screenings for colorectal cancer. The goal is to help people stay healthy by making it easier for them to access these services. This is particularly useful for those who might not be able to visit a clinic or hospital easily. The company was started by Max Cohen and Cameron Behar. Neither of them had a background in healthcare. They both worked at Google and Facebook before this. They saw the growing trend of telehealth during the pandemic. However, they also noticed that not everyone can be served remotely. So, they decided to fill this gap by bringing healthcare services directly to patients' homes. Sprinter Health has been around for four years and has seen impressive growth. It now operates in 18 states, up from just five in 2023. The company's revenue has increased six-fold over the past year. This success has attracted significant investment. The startup recently raised $55 million in a Series B round. This brings the total funding raised to $125 million. The investment was led by General Catalyst, with participation from other big names like Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures. One of the key factors behind Sprinter Health's success is its advanced tech logistics system. This system helps to plan the best routes and schedules for its clinical professionals. These professionals are cross-trained as medical assistants and community health workers. The goal is to ensure that they spend as much time as possible serving patients rather than driving around. The company's route simulator takes into account various factors like traffic, weather, and parking. This allows its clinical staff to serve up to 12 patients daily. The healthcare industry is no stranger to home-based care companies. However, many have struggled to make it work. The challenge lies in making the unit economics viable when deploying humans into the field. Without tight operating systems, it's hard to build a sustainable business. Julie Yoo, a general partner at a16z, compared Sprinter Health's business model to that of Instacart and DoorDash. These food delivery companies also need to serve as many customers as possible to achieve strong gross margins. Sprinter Health's services are free to members of the company's health insurance partners. This includes Medicare and Medicaid. This makes healthcare more accessible to a wider range of people. However, it's important to consider the long-term sustainability of such a model. How will the company continue to grow and serve more patients without compromising on quality? These are questions that will need to be addressed as Sprinter Health continues to expand.