Culina Health, a digital nutrition company, has secured $7.9 million in Series A funding, which it will use to grow its company and reach more patients, the startup announced Thursday.
Hoboken, New Jersey-based Culina Health connects people with registered dietitians and provides personalized virtual nutrition support based on people’s needs. It supports patients through a range of conditions, including weight loss, gastrointestinal health, heart health, diabetes, hormone health and eating disorders. The company operates in all 50 states and is in network with most major insurance plans, including Cigna, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare. It also works with Medicare.
“Our job is to understand your culture, understand your preferences, understand how much money you have at the end of the week and help you achieve success and the outcomes that you want with what you have available to you. … We show you how to eat in the way that you’re used to eating, and then layer in the things that you need so that you can achieve those goals,” said Vanessa Rissetto, co-founder of the company and a registered dietitian, in an interview.
Market Trends to Watch for Health Systems and Their Specialty Pharmacies
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
The Series A round was led by Healthworx, the investment arm of insurer CareFirst. It also included participation from Rethink Impact, Collab Capital, Collide Capital, Vamos Ventures, Tensility Venture Partners, Cake Ventures and GW Ventures. Culina Health has raised $20 million in total.
According to Healthworx, Culina Health could greatly expand access to nutrition care.
“New interventions that engage members, improve health outcomes, and ultimately reduce long-term costs associated with managing chronic conditions are core to the potential of whole-person health,” said Doba Parushev, managing partner at Healthworx, in a statement. “Through its clinically driven approach to nutrition and unparalleled level of support, compassion, and attention from its care team, Culina Health has created a viable solution that can be deployed at scale, and has the potential to improve the health of millions of people.”
The funding will help Culina Health build out its team, seek more partnerships with physician practices and payers, and market its company, Rissetto said. It will also add in new AI platforms, according to the announcement.
Reducing Clinical and Staff Burnout with AI Automation
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
Currently, about half of adults in the U.S. have at least one preventable chronic disease, and many are related to eating patterns. To combat this, several other companies also provide access to nutrition support, including Fay, Sylvan Health and Berry Street. However, Rissetto said these companies differ from Culina Health because they function more so as marketplaces for dietitians.
Ultimately, the company aims to provide people with more education around nutrition and help them work around their preferences. Rissetto noted that she helped one patient lose weight while eating every meal out.
“We go through everything and say, ‘What are we teaching you, and how do we get you to be successful and not feel shame around the things you can or cannot do?’” she said.
Photo: fcafotodigital, Getty Images