Strive Health Secures $550M to Expand AI-Powered Kidney Care Platform

Strive Health, a value-based kidney care company, has secured $550 million in combined financing to accelerate its technology investments and expand its multi-specialty care services. The funding comprises $300 million in series D equity led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and $250 million in debt financing led by Hercules Capital, boosting the company's valuation to $1.8 billion.

The equity round attracted participation from CVS Health Ventures, CapitalG, Echo Health Ventures, Town Hall Ventures, and Redpoint, alongside new institutional investors including funds managed by BlackRock affiliates. Many of these investors previously backed the company's $166 million series C round in 2023, bringing Strive Health's total funding to $700 million since its founding in 2018.

The kidney care specialist has demonstrated significant growth, now serving over 145,000 people with kidney disease through partnerships with more than 6,500 providers across all 50 states. The company manages nearly $5 billion in annual medical spend and employs over 700 people, representing substantial expansion from the 80,000 patients it served across 30 states in 2023. Strive's model integrates technology-enabled care interventions with local provider networks to support patients throughout their journey from chronic kidney disease to end-stage kidney disease, while also expanding into related conditions such as congestive heart failure.

"What's different about us is we integrate into the physician community. We're integrated with more than 6,500 providers, 700 of those are nephrologists that we're in some form of arrangement with, either through the KCC (CMMI Kidney Care Choices) program, or just through our local integration and market. We believe, and I think our success is proving it out, that when you integrate in the community where the care is being delivered, you can have a bigger impact on the patient journey," said Chris Riopelle, co-founder and CEO of Strive Health.

The company's care model pairs patients with dedicated "kidney hero" care teams that include nurse practitioners, case managers, care coordinators, social workers, dieticians, and pharmacists. This approach has yielded measurable results, with Strive reporting over 20% reductions in care costs, 41% fewer hospitalizations, and five-fold improvements in preemptive transplants in certain markets. The company claims to have saved its health plan and provider partners more than $400 million through its value-based care approach, which focuses on early intervention and preventative care to slow disease progression.

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