Zipongo, a digital nutrition program founded in 2011, developed an app to make personalized meal recommendations based on dietary needs. Although its initial focus was on corporate wellness plans, it is expanding into other areas of healthcare this year.
The digital health company has a newly developed FoodScripts program geared to hospitals and health plans. Zipongo has closed an $18 million Series B1 round to support the rollout of the app to these customers, initially through a pilot program expected to begin this spring. The business had raised $18 million in 2016 so this latest tranche brings the total raised for the Series B to more than $35 million.
Reducing Clinical and Staff Burnout with AI Automation
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
The FoodScripts app is geared to people with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and other conditions. It provides nutrition programs that adhere to their dietary needs, according to the press release.
In response to emailed questions, Zipongo CEO Jason Langheier said the company is working with four of the largest health plans in the U.S., along with regional plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
“We are developing modules for other conditions, such as cancers and inflammatory bowel disease,” Langheier noted in an email.
Seventure Partners, a European venture capital firm that invests in life sciences and digital technologies, and Zaffre Investments, the investment fund for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, led the funding round with the Mayfield Fund. Zipongo has raised more than $50 million to date.
Transforming Patient Care: The Role of AI-Powered Assistants
The progress in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping patient care, across various dimensions, from facilitating faster discharge to curating treatment plans and suggesting lifestyle changes.
Asked how many staff Zipongo expected to add, Langheier said the company is expanding its clinical, nutrition, research, data science, engineering and design teams. It will also continue to grow its sales and customer service teams, particularly with staff that possesses deep payer and health system experience.
“We’ll also soon be announcing our new Chief Medical Officer and sales leaders for employer, health plan, and health system markets,” he added.
Zipongo’s approach reflects a wider trend led by health systems such as Geisinger, which have calculated that it is cheaper to simply cover the cost of food shopping for certain patients compared with hospitalization and treating them for complications stemming from chronic conditions.