Visana Health, a telehealth startup focused on women's health, closed on a $2.6 million round of seed funding, Founder and CEO Joe Connolly said Thursday.
The round included participation from Flare Capital Partners, Pixel Perfect Ventures, InHealth Ventures, SWL Healthcare Ventures and independent health care angel investors.
Until now, Visana was focused on a small segment of women's health, but the company will use the funding to build out a comprehensive suite of virtual health care services, Connolly said.
The Minneapolis-based company will also launch a pilot with a national health care plan to source clinical and economic data to support the efficacy of its products.
Visana works as a true virtual clinic that provides telehealth services by employing OB-GYNs and women's health nurse practitioners. Care coordinators and health coaches also provide a holistic, behavior change model.
Visana is made available to patients through their employer or individual health plans, and there's typically no copay or deductibles associated with the service, Connolly said.
The company was founded in 2019, but Connolly said it decided to pursue funding now after gaining traction with health plans in the last six to nine months. The plans have been drawn to Visana's unique offering because of a renewed interest in diversity, equity and inclusion, not only in the workplace but in health equity as well, he said.
While women's health care has traditionally been focused on maternity, Visana is trying to take on a whole woman, whole lifespan approach, Connolly said. In addition to a greater emphasis on health care equity, the company has also benefitted from the widespread adoption of virtual health care in the wake of the pandemic.
"Consumers are starting to demand telehealth services. And I think that has also forced health plans and employers to update the benefits they're offering," Connolly said.
Connolly was motivated to found Visana after seeing his mother and other immediate family members suffer from chronic menstrual pain caused by endometriosis.
He said people are often curious why a man founded a women's health company, but those questions go away after they see his passion for improving patient outcomes.
"People see how focused I am on trying to improve these outcomes. And I think that's one of the reasons why I've been so successful in raising money, because people want to support that type of vision," he said.
