The market for health-related technology – especially in the realm of transportation – is growing at a fast clip, and Uzurv is taking its piece of the pie.
The Richmond-based tech startup, which provides a healthcare-related ride-hailing service with what it calls a "higher duty of care," has closed a $5 million Series A funding round.
The capital raise was led by Diane Briere de l’isle-Engelhardt and Henry Engelhardt, co-founder and former CEO of Elephant Insurance parent company Admiral Group. It's not their first foray into local vehicle-tech investments: Last year, the pair invested $25 million in Henrico-based car insurance platform Compare.com.
Uzurv will use the money to continue its national expansion and otherwise scale the business as demand rises, it said in a statement, by expanding its operations team, upgrading its mobile platform and developing more automation technology.
Founded in May 2017, Uzurv started as a reservation platform for ride-hailing services like Uber, but it pivoted quickly toward providing healthcare-related transportation. Through partnerships with transit agencies, care providers and support organizations, it created a network of drivers for people in need of non-emergency medical care. Anyone who wants to become a UZURV driver must complete an online training regimen that mirrors the requirements for ADA compliance.
Following the pivot, the tech startup raised a seed round of $2.3 million in 2018, allowing it to scale contracts it was awarded. Those include pilot programs in Nashville, Phoenix, Orlando, Jacksonville and Greensboro, N.C. By the end of 2018, it was providing rides for the American Cancer Society in 19 states, among many other clients.
The company, headquartered in Shockoe Bottom, now operates in 25 states and has 30 employees. It plans to add a dozen or more staff in 2019, CEO John Donlon told the Times-Dispatch.
