Chicago-based Kaizen Health Inc. has completed its Series B funding round led by UnityPoint Health Ventures, the venture investment arm of one of the nation's most integrated health systems. The investment is intended to support Kaizen Health's efforts to streamline the experience of ordering non-emergency, multi-modal medical transportation on behalf of patients, members, clinicians, staff and residents.
Kaizen Health's platform addresses the availability and reliability of healthcare transportation, and is used by health systems, payers, senior living providers and municipalities across the country. The funding supports further enhancement of Kaizen Health's market-leading healthcare transportation platform as well as expansion of their sales and account management teams.
"Transportation plays a critical role in not only our day-to-day lives, but also our health care experiences," said Matthew Warrens, managing director of innovation, UnityPoint Health, in a statement. "We want to ensure a lack of transportation does not pose a barrier to health for any of the people we serve. There was tremendous interest from within our organization and our communities to make meaningful progress on this issue, and we're excited to partner with Kaizen Health to further support our patients."
The investment in Kaizen Health is intended to support the efforts of UnityPoint Health to provide an easier, more personal experience for patients and providers while also addressing cost and quality. It also aligns with the organization's focus on addressing the social drivers of health. Lewis and Clark Ventures and Hyde Park Angels also participated in the round.
Kaizen Health Founder and CEO Mindi Knebel added: "The UnityPoint Health Ventures team brings the strength of a multi-state provider system with an appetite for tackling many of the very same challenges around access, patient experience and operational efficiency that Kaizen Health was created to address. This partnership will accelerate our growth and impact nationwide."
