Patients who use Vida show positive outcomes for treating chronic health including diabetes and obesity. New funds will scale digital coaching platform

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, December 8, 2016 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vida Health Raises $18M Series B
To Scale Digital Platform for Chronic Disease Care
and Wellness Coaching

Vida Health, the digital health platform that pairs individuals with expert health coaches, has raised an $18M Series B led by Canvas Ventures. Other investors include Nokia Growth Partners (NGP) and returning investor Aspect Ventures. Vida will use the capital to scale its mobile platform to serve more consumers who are managing chronic conditions or simply want to improve their health. Canvas Ventures’ Partner Rebecca Lynn will join Vida’s Board of Directors.

“We are delighted to have Canvas Ventures and NGP join us to help more people benefit from one-to-one health coaching and personalized, continuous care,” said Vida Co-founder and CEO Stephanie Tilenius. “Since launching two years ago, we have seen men and women use the Vida platform to dramatically improve their health and even reverse chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. For many, it’s transformed their lives. The potential to prevent, manage and reverse chronic health conditions that affect half of all Americans, and reduce our nation’s healthcare burden, is huge.”

The rise of chronic conditions in America, and how to address this growing healthcare crisis, is a much discussed topic on Capitol Hill and in the offices of employers, insurers and physicians. Almost 3 in 4 people in the U.S. are overweight; 86 million have prediabetes and 70 million have hypertension, both of which lead to chronic diseases if not managed. The economic cost weighs heavily on families, employers, and the U.S. economy, which is on track to spend 20% of GDP on healthcare by 2025.

“We’re proud to back this team that is addressing both an enormous market and a dire need. The market for chronic disease care in the United States is $2.5 trillion according to the CDC. Vida currently treats more than 20 chronic conditions including hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. In addition, they provide wellness coaching to promote healthy living and preempt serious health issues,” said Rebecca Lynn, General Partner, Canvas Ventures.

Lynn added: “We were also drawn to their approach. Vida couples an elegant and intuitive mobile technology with a network of highly-educated and experienced health coaches. Vida users are matched with coaches who may include nurses, therapists, nutritionists, personal trainers, and mentors. Their user engagement rates are the highest I’ve seen in the category.”

Vida pairs individuals with a human health coach who is an expert in behavior change and knowledgeable in the area of need, whether it’s nutrition, weight loss, fitness, diabetes, stress management or other conditions. Individuals can talk to their coach in real-time messaging, using text, voice or video; access evidenced-based clinical programs such as weight loss, diabetes prevention, hypertension, and exercise programs; connect to a community of support, which can include coaches, family members, friends, other people with similar conditions, and doctors. Vida also connects to over 100 apps and devices, pulling in personal data from a variety of sources, including lab and claims data, to create a personalized experience.

Dr. Simrit Parmar of MD Anderson Cancer Center is using Vida as part of a clinical trial for cancer patients. “One of the challenges of treating patients with chronic diseases has been providing ongoing support that extends beyond time spent with the physician. Patients need monitoring, guidance, accountability and social support in between doctor visits to help them manage their conditions and achieve lasting behavior change. There is evidence that Vida’s approach combining mobile coaching with evidence-based clinical programs and device monitoring can benefit patients and drive positive health outcomes.”

Since launching in October 2014, Vida has coached tens of thousands of individuals, and has had over 4 million messages and over 7 million logged data points go through the platform. Vida reaches consumers directly, as well as through partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, major national payers, and large providers. Vida’s partners include employers Steelcase, eBay, and FICO, insurer UnitedHealthcare, and medical centers Duke Medicine, Stanford Medicine, and many others.

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