Forward raises $100M to deploy AI-based CarePods

Since 2016, Forward has built a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer healthcare system with 19 clinics and a team of over 100 primary care clinicians around the country. The company has locations in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Seattle, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C, among others, but it can't be everywhere.

That's why the company announced it's expanding access to its insurance-free care in places that don’t yet have a Forward clinic with newly developed CarePods. These are free-standing, self-service units that combine hardware and software to leverage AI diagnostics. 

"CarePods will reshape a world where healthcare is conveniently accessible on every street corner," Adrian Aoun, co-founder and CEO of Forward, told VatorNews. 

To support the creation, distribution and installment of these CarePods, Forward has also announced a $100 million round of funding from Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, and Softbank, Eric Schmidt, John Giannandrea, and DeepMind founders Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman.

CarePods will be located in areas that are easily accessible to the public, such as offices, malls, and gyms. Visits will generally last between five and 15 minutes and provide full body biometric scans, blood testing, and disease detection via a range of Health Apps. The focus will be on addressing disease areas such a diabetes, hypertension, and anxiety, connecting the patient to Forward clinicians 24/7 via their mobile application.

Once a CarePod visit is complete, the data will be transmitted to Forward’s platform, enabling continuous progress monitoring, identifying disease risks, and providing in-depth evaluations using sensors, laboratory tests, and vital sign measurements. Patients can access all of their health data 24/7 in the Forward mobile app.

Individuals can sign up to use the CarePod online at goforward.com/carepod or in-person at the unit if they wish to use it. Forward representatives will also be onsite at each CarePod location to guide pre-sign up demos and answer questions for prospective and current members.

"Forward was created to solve the existential problems in healthcare by using technology to scale care to billions of people. Forward CarePods are the next major milestone in Forward’s mission, combining AI technology and medical expertise to address the three fundamental challenges of healthcare: cost, accessibility, and quality," said Aoun.

"The CarePod itself is a striking device and creates an one-of-a-kind rich customer experience.  It has an immersive demo mode which non members can use to experience what the service will be like to use.  We definitely expect the CarePod to continue to accelerate the growth in Forward’s membership numbers."

CarePods are initially launching starting in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, and Forward already plans to more than double that footprint in the coming year.

"Forward is on a mission to provide the world’s best healthcare to billions of people, for free. Reimagining a poorly designed system that is incentivized to keep people sick, Forward is building an insurance-free healthcare ecosystem from the ground up," Aoun said.

"By combining advanced technology with medical expertise in preventive care, Forward provides personalized, proactive, data-driven healthcare for a flat membership fee--no hidden costs or copays."