US-based medical chatbot developer mPulse Mobile completed a $16m series C round yesterday led by Optum Ventures, the investment arm of health services provider Optum.
Echo Health Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for healthcare provider Cambia Health Solutions and health insurer Blue Cross North Carolina, also took part in the round, alongside HLM Venture Partners, OCA Ventures, SJF Ventures and Rincon Ventures.
Founded in 2014, mPulse has created a conversational algorithm that enables healthcare industry clients to build chatbots to help patients live a healthy lifestyle, fulfil repeat prescriptions and make use of state health insurance plans.
The algorithm is trained using more than 250 million conversations each year and can be applied to text messages and emails as well as phone calls through a text-to-voice chatbot facility.
The series C cash increased mPulse’s total funding to $41.7m and it will go to product development. SJF Ventures led aits $11m series B round in mid-2018, participating alongside Echo Health Ventures, HLM Venture Partners, OCA Ventures and Bonfire Ventures.
The company had previously closed a $13m series A round in 2016 featuring Cambia Health, Rincon Venture Partners, HLM Venture Partners and existing backers OCA Ventures, Merrick Ventures and Jumpstart Ventures.