9am.health, a fast-growing virtual diabetes clinic that delivers personalized, affordable, and compassionate care directly to consumers, today announced a $16 million Series A funding round, bringing its total funding to date to nearly $20 million. The latest round was co-led by 7Wire Ventures and Human Capital and included participation from new investors StartUp Health and Leaps by Bayer, and existing investors Define Ventures and Founders Fund.
9am.health offers easy, affordable, and kind care to people living with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Since launching last year, 9am.health has scaled quickly across 47 states and D.C., providing medical care, lab diagnostics, medications, and personalized treatment plans to patients across a variety of backgrounds and demographics.
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are two of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the U.S., collectively costing the nation hundreds of billions of dollars each year and creating thousands in medical expenses for individuals. Both populations are at significant risk of developing severe long-term health issues if their condition isn’t managed. Studies also have shown that people with diabetes are at higher risk of developing serious Covid-19 illness.
“People want a new approach that fits with their busy lives, so 9am.health gives them a relationship-driven model that doesn’t sacrifice quality for lower cost,” said Frank Westermann, Co-founder and Co-CEO of 9am.health.”Many on the 9am.health team, including myself and Co-CEO Anton Kittelberger, live with diabetes and know firsthand how challenging it is to prioritize your health when the healthcare system doesn’t center around the patient. We’re removing the barriers that people face and are surrounding them with empathetic care.”
Founded by Frank Westermann, Anton Kittelberger, Paul Geevarghese, and Bernhard Schandl, 9am.health has rapidly expanded its services over the past few months. It now offers a comprehensive subscription-based service that includes access to at-home diagnostic lab tests, blood glucose monitoring kits and physician-prescribed medications for prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and commonly associated conditions – all delivered directly and discreetly to patients’ homes. All members get personalized treatment plans that come with unlimited access to the 9am.health medical care team that can answer any patient need. 9am.health also provides non-members with at-home diabetes and prediabetes screenings at low costs.
“The 9am.health team has created a new consumer-directed and comprehensive diabetes experience that includes medications, devices, labs, and care, provided by people who understand diabetes, all in one place. The pandemic demonstrated that health consumers are hungry for a new healthcare system that is responsive to their needs, improves care, and does so affordably,” said Glen Tullman, 7Wire Venture Managing Partner and CEO of Transcarent. “The 9am.health leadership team are entrepreneurs who are purpose-driven, passionate and are experienced in translating people’s needs into great experiences, and I’m looking forward to working with the team on their continued expansion.”
Tullman is a veteran healthcare executive and investor who is passionate about transforming diabetes care globally. Previously the head of Livongo (merged with Teladoc in 2020), he was familiar with the 9am.health leadership team’s prior experience building mySugr, a highly successful diabetes management app that was acquired by Roche in 2017. Tullman will now join 9am.health’s Board of Directors and will be instrumental in the company’s vision and market strategy moving forward.
9am.health has aggressive plans to grow its DTC business this year while also expanding to support the self-insured employer market, offering employees access to its virtual diabetes care program as a covered benefit.