Knownwell pockets $20 million to deliver weight-inclusive hybrid care

Hybrid weight management company knownwell has secured $20 million in Series A funding, bringing its total fundraise to $24.5 million since launching in January. The company provides US patients with virtual and in-person access to "weight-inclusive" medical services.

"Knownwell exists to be a healthcare home to patients who have been stigmatised for too long by the healthcare system because of their size," explained CEO Brooke Boyarsky-Pratt, who co-founded the startup with chief medical officer Angela Fitch. The two created the company to take a clinical and patient-driven approach that offers patients long-term results. 

The latest round was led by A16Z with participation from existing backers including Flare Capital Partners, which led the company's seed round. Knownwell plans to use the proceeds to scale its brick-and-mortar clinics and telehealth offering, while also collaborating with pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials and partnering with health systems, payors and employers. 

The funds will additionally be used to boost knownwell's product development, including integrating artificial intelligence-powered patient stratification, asynchronous communication, and provider workflow enablement tools into its care model. 

Paediatric offering

Meanwhile, knownwell has also launched a clinical offering for children and teens living with obesity. The new model, dubbed knownwell teens, uses a holistic, clinical approach to treat the root cause of early obesity, including offering nutritional counselling and behavioural health services. 

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