What You Should Know:
– Counsel Health announces $11M in Seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, with participation from Asymmetric Capital Partners, Floodgate Fund and Pear VC.
– The funding will support Counsel’s national expansion and coverage extension to millions more members.
Counsel: Revolutionizing Access to Healthcare Through Asynchronous Medicine
The U.S. healthcare system faces a significant access-to-care crisis, with 60 million Americans experiencing primary care shortages and patients waiting an average of 38 days for appointments. In parallel, the demand for messaging-based medical advice has surged, evidenced by a six-fold increase in patient inbox messages. This trend has contributed to growing physician burnout and delayed patient responses.
Founded by a team of physicians and engineers, Counsel aims to address these challenges by providing high-quality, personalized medical advice from expert physicians within minutes. By offering on-demand guidance, Counsel reduces unnecessary hospital visits, alleviates provider burden, and enhances the overall patient experience.
At the core of Counsel’s approach is an AI-powered “clinician cockpit,” which integrates patients’ medical records, specialty guidelines, and academic research. This innovative system allows physicians to respond to patient inquiries with greater efficiency and precision. Over time, Counsel’s model may even lead to the development of a new medical specialty—Asynchronous Medicine—where providers specialize in delivering messaging-based care.
“The power of technology lies in its ability to make the best version of something available to everyone,” said Dr. Alagappan. “Access to high-quality healthcare advice remains a global challenge, but Counsel’s AI-embedded virtual medical practice breaks that barrier by enabling everyone to feel like they have a doctor in the family.”
