Virtual women’s health company Allara Health has raised $26 million in Series B funding, which it will use to further support women battling chronic hormonal conditions, the company announced on Friday.
Allara Health, based in New York City, serves women struggling with conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis and hypothyroidism. Patients start with a video chat with an OBGYN or nurse practitioner, as well as with a registered dietitian. They also undergo hormonal and metabolic testing. Patients then receive a personalized care plan that includes nutrition recommendations, lifestyle changes and medication if appropriate. They also have check-ins every two months with a dietitian, ongoing check-ins with a physician and educational content. The company accepts insurance, including UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Cigna.
The company’s $26 million Series B raise was led by Index Ventures and included participation from Google Ventures. In total, Allara Health has raised $38.5 million.
Women have long been overlooked in healthcare, according to Martin Mignot, partner at Index Ventures. Mignot will be joining Allara’s board.
“Allara has created a new way for women to engage with specialty care: personalized treatment delivered at scale by a team of experts who care deeply about their patients,” Mignot said in a statement. “As the healthcare market makes the jump from offline to online – similar to what we saw with consumer internet 20 years ago – there’s a significant opportunity to provide better access to care for patients and better quality of life for providers.”
The financing will help the company bring its care to women nationwide, according to the announcement. Allara’s website states that it offers complete medical and nutrition care in 23 states and a nutrition-only membership in 22 states, along with Washington, D.C.
Currently, about one in three women battle a chronic hormonal condition, according to Allara Health. And getting a diagnosis is often challenging, as nearly 70% of PCOS cases are undiagnosed. For endometriosis, women have to wait an average of 10 years for a diagnosis.
This is a challenge that Allara Health’s founder and CEO, Rachel Blank, knows well.
“Allara was built for the tens of millions of women living with complex hormonal and gynecologic conditions across the U.S., myself included,” Blank said in a statement. “After receiving a PCOS diagnosis without sufficient medical support, I realized firsthand the inequities that exist for many of us throughout the healthcare system.”
Allara Health isn’t the only digital health company treating women with hormonal conditions. WellTheory, a company for those with autoimmune conditions, just launched a program for hormonal conditions. Visana Health also provides care for hormonal conditions, as well as for menopause and reproductive health.
Photo: StockFinland, Getty Images
