Caraway, a virtual care startup focused on providing mental, physical and reproductive healthcare for college students, emerged from stealth with $10.5 million in seed funding.
The seed was led by 7wireVentures and OMERS Ventures, with participation from Hopelab Ventures and angel investors.
WHAT IT DOES
Built from a partnership between 7wireVentures, OMERS Ventures, CEO Lori Evans Bernstein and COO Joshua Tauber, Caraway plans to offer team-based virtual care for college-age women and others with similar reproductive care needs.
Bernstein previously served in the first Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health IT during the George W. Bush administration. She was also cofounder and president of clinical AI company HealthReveal, which was acquired by Accolade last year.
The startup will offer a care team made up of gynecologists, psychiatrists, family medical practitioners, adolescent specialists, therapists, nurses and care coaches. Patients will also be able to access care through its app, like chatting with a nurse practitioner, getting referrals to in-person care and ordering home tests for UTIs and STIs.
Caraway plans to launch in fall this year.
“Many college students are in crisis, and for women, getting the care they need is increasingly challenging. It shouldn’t be this way,” Bernstein said in a statement. “Our students go to college not only for an academic experience, but also to learn how to cope and flourish independently.
“Caraway combines an experienced clinical care team and passionate GenZers to support women+ in taking care of themselves in an increasingly complicated and hard to access healthcare system.”
THE LARGER TREND
Caraway is pitching its virtual offering as a way to improve care access and coordination particularly for college women, many of whom face a changed reproductive healthcare landscape after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The COVID-19 pandemic also took a toll on young adults’ mental health.
Another digital health company focused on college students is Mantra Health, which focuses on mental healthcare. Earlier this year, it raised $22 million in Series A funding to grow its provider network, improve its clinical infrastructure and enhance its capabilities to handle a variety of mental health needs, including for more severe conditions.
Femtech and virtual care geared toward women represent a steadily expanding space within digital health. Alpha Medical, a virtual primary care startup focused on women, raised $24 million last year and recently added diabetes care offerings.
Hybrid provider Tia has been expanding its brick-and-mortar locations in the Bay Area after scooping up $100 million in Series B funding in 2021. Meanwhile, women’s and family care provider Maven Clinic announced a $110 million Series D raise in August of last year.
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