Capsule becomes a unicorn with latest funding, Caresyntax scores $100M, direct healthcare payment platform Sesame lands $24M and more digital health fundings

Digital pharmacy Capsule has completed another massive funding round, this time worth $300 million, according to Bloomberg.

The added investments value the New York-based startup at more than $1 billion, Capsule CEO Eric Kinariwala said in an interview. This, plus Capsule’s past raises, brings its total funding to date to $570 million.

The funds will go towards market expansion and technology updates, Bloomberg reported.

Caresyntax, a digital surgery platform, has closed a $100 million Series C funding round led by PFM Health Sciences LP.

New investors Optum Ventures, Intel Capital, Lauxera Capital Partners, Vesalius Biocapital III, Arno Capital, Rezayat Investments, as well as existing investors IPF Partners, the Relyens Group and Surgical.AI also participated in the raise.

The company’s platform utilizes artificial intelligence and real-world data from the operating room to provide actionable insights to the care team. It can also connect surgeons with outside experts, such as medical school instructors or medical device representatives, in real-time.

“Operating rooms need to perform as effectively and efficiently as possible, and this is especially true now to make up for the surgical backlog driven by the pandemic,” Dennis Kogan, the founder and CEO of Caresyntax, said in a statement. “With better technology to safely automate surgical pathways while generating decision-grade real-world evidence, we will improve health care decision-making, mitigate surgical risks, and advance high-value medical technology.”

The funding will be used to accelerate Caresyntax’s growth, conduct research and development for its AI technology, expand its platform, and add to its employee base.

Direct-payment healthcare marketplace Sesame has added $24 million in new funding. Investments from new backers included Giant Ventures, Industry Ventures and Coefficient Capital, in addition to existing investors General Catalyst, Entree Capital and Atreides Management.

Using Sesame’s platform, patients can directly pay providers for a range of in-person or online care, including urgent care, sexual health and mental health.

The funds will support Sesame’s nationwide telehealth expansion and allow it to expand the scope of its in-person offerings.

“Only radical simplicity will fix a complex system like healthcare,” Sesame CEO and cofounder David Goldhill said in a statement. “Right now, the healthcare industry works really well if you’re an insurance company or a hospital. But not if you’re a patient or a doctor. We’re changing that every single time a patient finds, books, and pays for care directly on Sesame.”

UCM Digital Health, a provider of emergency telehealthcare, announced today it closed a $5.5 million Series A funding round. Armory Square Ventures led the round with additional participation from Contour Ventures and River Park Ventures.

The company’s digital-first platform provides urgent and emergent care, virtual primary care and home testing.

With the new investments, UCM Digital Health will continue its company growth, Keith Algozzine, the company’s CEO and cofounder said in a statement.

“We have created a mission-driven offering that enables all care to begin digitally, binding a highly trained emergency medicine team of physicians, PA’s, NP’s, EMT’s and care coordinators with our technology,” Algozzine said.

“We are provider-led and patient-focused. Over the last five years, we have proven our value proposition through a data-driven model, comprised of over 500 clients and growing consistently by 100% year-over-year. We operate in all fifty states and UCM Digital’s services today touch millions of lives. With support from our new investors, we are excited to continue our growth by expanding our network of health plans or employers’ plans.”

Emergency medical services telehealth company MD Ally has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by General Catalyst with participation from Seae Ventures.

The MD Ally platform allows 9-1-1 operators to transition emergency calls to a licensed medical professional who can administer virtual care.

“This latest funding will further enable us to realize our vision of a virtual response system that helps reduce ambulance wait times, decrease crowding in emergency rooms and ensures equitable healthcare outcomes for all,” Shanel Fields, the CEO and founder of MD Ally, said in a statement.

“We look forward to partnering with and supporting the vision of forward-thinking public safety leaders looking to drive innovation across 9-1-1.”

MD Ally has raised $4.5 million to date with these new investments.

Votive Health officially launched today following the completion of a $2.5 million raise led by Flare Capital Partners, with Chrysalis Ventures and OCA Ventures as additional participants.

The company plans to use its technology platform to coordinate value-based arrangements between payers and providers to deliver at-home care for people dealing with life-threatening illnesses, according to the announcement.

“Too often patients facing a serious illness receive unnecessary and expensive services that don’t meet their physical, social, or existential needs, and which add to the financial stress and burden on the family,” Torrie Fields, the founder and CEO of Votive Health, said in a statement.

“Patients don’t get the personalized care they need, while costs to payers and providers continue to grow. We’re solving that disconnect by bringing complex care home.”

Votive plans on using the capital to accelerate its growth and scale its offering. In addition to the funding, Dan Gebremedhin of Flare Capital Partners and David Jones Jr. of Chrysalis Ventures joined the company’s board of directors.