Insider Brief
- Counsel Health raised $11M in seed funding led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health to support its national expansion and improve access to on-demand, messaging-based medical advice for millions of patients.
- Counsel addresses the U.S. healthcare access crisis by offering AI-enhanced, on-demand medical advice from expert physicians, reducing hospital visits and physician burnout while improving patient care.
- The company operates in several states and plans to expand nationwide, with its AI-native platform potentially pioneering a new specialty in “Asynchronous Medicine” for messaging-based care.
PRESS RELEASE — 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.
The U.S. healthcare system has an access-to-care crisis, with 60 million Americans facing primary care shortages and patients waiting 38 days for appointments. Meanwhile, demand for messaging-based medical advice has surged with patient inbox messages increasing six-fold, contributing to physician burnout and delayed responses.
Founded by a team of physicians and engineers, Counsel’s mission is to improve access to care by providing patients high-quality, personalized medical advice from expert physicians within minutes. By offering on-demand guidance, Counsel reduces unnecessary hospital visits, eases the provider burden and improves the patient experience.
“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.”
At the core of Counsel’s model is an AI-native “clinician cockpit” that integrates patients’ medical records, specialty guidelines and academic research, enabling physicians to respond with more efficiency and quality. “Counsel’s hybrid structure — part software company, research lab and medical practice — uniquely positions it to deliver a care experience that hasn’t been possible until now,” said Nancy Chou, partner at Asymmetric Capital Partners.
Counsel currently serves tens of thousands of patients through its health plan and provider partnerships in California, New York, Massachusetts, Florida and Texas, and plans to expand nationwide over the next two years.
Over time, Counsel’s innovative approach could even spark the creation of a new medical specialty — Asynchronous Medicine — where providers specialize in messaging-based care. “Counsel’s technology has made asynchronous care more sustainable and efficacious,” said Julie Yoo, general partner at a16z Bio + Health. “Counsel thoughtfully integrates AI with physicians, ensuring care remains safe, personalized and effective. We’re excited to support Counsel’s transformative journey.”
Get in touch with the Counsel team at info@counselhealth.com.
Counsel Health
Counsel Health was founded in 2023 to multiply the world’s healthcare capacity. Counsel provides patients with personalized on-demand medical advice while avoiding unnecessary medical expenses. Visit www.counselhealth.com.
