FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Investment, platform expansion and new client growth highlight the demand for a cohesive and personalized patient experience.
CHICAGO—(November 17, 2020)—Upfront Healthcare, a leading omnichannel communication and patient engagement platform, raised $11.5 million in a Series B funding round, led by new investor Baird Capital and co-led by existing investor LRVHealth, along with participation from series A investors Echo Health Ventures, Nashville Capital Network, Hyde Park Ventures and Martin Ventures. Upfront has received $21.5 million in financing to date.
Founded in 2016, Upfront has built a foundational platform designed to grow with health system clients and their ever-changing needs. Upfront provides extensible patient solutions that continuously guide and motivate all patients to complete necessary care at the most appropriate site or with the most applicable service. Upfront engages patients across multiple channels, presenting personalized, curated content and culturally relevant information. Under the hood, Upfront is powered by a library of data connectors, integrated machine learning capabilities, and an enterprise orchestration engine.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Upfront’s talented team to help drive the company’s continued growth and impact on care delivery and patient outcomes for its clients,” said Jim Pavlik, Partner with Baird Capital. “The combination of Upfront’s deep industry expertise and robust platform capabilities is critical and timely as health systems increasingly adopt digital solutions to better navigate the complex and rapidly changing care ecosystem for their patients.”
Patient confusion, frustration and distrust peaked over the last twelve months with the expansion of health system sites of care and services and the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the demand for Care Traffic Control solutions that can transform a fragmented collection of services into a coherent, well-designed ecosystem drove rapid growth, doubling Upfront’s revenue year over year. In addition, health systems accelerated their digital health strategies to engage patients and regain trust, increasing the adoption of Upfront at existing clients more than 10x. The additional funds will support the implementation of these evolving health system and patient needs, accelerate the product roadmap and expand sales and marketing.
Co-Founders Ben Albert and Carrie Kozlowski drew on their decades of healthcare technology experience, entrepreneurial drive and Kozlowski’s extensive clinical and care management background to start Upfront. They continue to rely on those strengths to scale the company and deliver proven strategic and operational guidance to their growing list of health system clients.
“We set out more than four years ago to help patients navigate the complexities of the healthcare system by delivering a cohesive and frictionless experience, and we have made great progress toward that goal,” said Albert, Upfront’s CEO. “We are excited to partner with leading investor Baird Capital and eager to work together to continue to invest in our platform to make a larger impact for patients and providers.”
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About Upfront
Upfront’s Care Traffic Control platform proactively reassures and directs patients to the safest and most relevant care options within the health system. Using advanced analytics, personalized content and strategic calls-to-action, Upfront aligns patient care needs with health system resources through a 1:1 digital experience based on deep healthcare operations and patient engagement experience. With Upfront, more patients will book and complete necessary care, use the most appropriate site of care, enroll in care coordination services, successfully navigate a care journey or transition, and understand how to stay safe in unusual conditions. To learn more, visit UpfrontHealthcare.com.
About Baird Capital
Baird Capital makes venture capital, growth equity and private equity investments in strategically targeted sectors around the world. Having invested in more than 310 companies over its history, Baird Capital partners with entrepreneurs and, leveraging its executive networks, strives to build exceptional companies. Baird Capital provides operational support to its portfolio companies through teams on the ground in the United States, Europe and Asia, a proactive portfolio operations team and a deep network of relationships, which together strive to deliver enhanced shareholder value. Baird Capital is the direct private investment arm of Robert W. Baird & Co. For more information, please visit www.BairdCapital.com.
Upfront Media Contact:
Kylie Barrie
(847) 989-8050
[email protected]
Baird Capital Media Contact
Rachel Kern
(414) 298-5101
[email protected]
