Healthcare firm launches CarePods – AI-powered, self-service units providing advanced diagnostics and personalized health plans from $99 a month.
Consumer healthcare provider Forward has secured $100 million in growth capital and introduced its flagship product CarePods – described by the company as “the world’s first AI doctor’s office.”
The AI-powered, self-service pods combine artificial intelligence with medical expertise, offering advanced diagnostics and personalized health plans. Upon entering a CarePod, users can access a range of health apps, spanning disease detection, biometric body scans, blood testing, and more.
The apps are powered by Forward’s proprietary AI, developed by doctors from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Columbia, and cover a spectrum of disease areas, from diabetes and hypertension to mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Forward plans to expand its apps to include prenatal care, cancer screening, and polygenic risk analysis over time.
Memberships for Forward start at $99 per month, providing users with access to their personalized health data through a mobile app. The platform facilitates real-time monitoring, risk identification, and in-depth health evaluations using a range of sensors, lab tests, and vital sign measurements. While the system is largely AI-powered, Forward also has a team of a team of over 100 primary care clinicians who make all care decisions.
Already deployed in 19 locations across the US, CarePods are being rolled out in locations such as malls, gyms, and offices, with plans to double the footprint in 2024. The initial rollout will focus on metropolitan areas, including the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
The new funding, which will be used to accelerate the manufacture and deployment of CarePods, was led by blue-chip venture funds including Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Samsung Next, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, and Softbank. Backers also include prominent figures in the AI field, such as Eric Schmidt, John Giannandrea, Demis Hassabis, and Mustafa Suleyman. The company has raised a total of $657 million to date.
