Korean digital healthcare startup Endo Health, based in Silicon Valley, has secured significant pre-seed investment from prestigious US venture capital firms and renowned angel investors. The funding round, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Krew Capital, with additional support from Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe, marks a major milestone for the company as it prepares to revolutionize chronic disease management.
In February 2024, Endo Health received its initial investment from Krew Capital, followed by pre-seed funding from a16z and Wojcicki. While the exact amount of the pre-seed investment remains undisclosed, the total funding exceeds 1.3 billion won (USD 9.3 million).
AI-Driven Healthcare for Chronic Diseases
Endo Health is at the forefront of developing an AI-driven personalized digital healthcare service tailored for diabetic and pre-diabetic patients with chronic diseases. Utilizing continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), the service collects real-time blood sugar and activity data to help patients manage their conditions more effectively. Insights from this year’s alpha test highlighted the importance of motivation in improving lifestyle habits, leading the company to integrate a gamification strategy, making disease management both accessible and enjoyable for users.
As chronic diseases like diabetes become increasingly prevalent worldwide, the global digital diabetes management market is projected to reach a value of 17 trillion won, according to Grand View Research. Given diabetes’s high prevalence and the critical role of daily lifestyle habits in managing the disease, Endo Health’s innovative approach aims to address the challenges patients face in self-management.
Global Market Launch
With the new funding, Endo Health plans to enhance its services and officially launch them in the third quarter of this year. Additionally, leveraging a16z’s pre-seed investment, Endo Health will participate in the ‘Speedrun’ acceleration program hosted by a16z. This program will facilitate Endo Health’s entry into the global market, starting with the US, with mentorship from industry leaders from companies such as Discord, Twitch, Zynga, and Supercell.
Anne Wojcicki expressed strong confidence in Endo Health’s team and vision, stating, “Chronic disease management is a challenging problem where existing strategies have failed, but I expect Endo Health’s new approach will be the solution.”
CEO Hee-sang Yoon commented, “We aim to change the paradigm of chronic disease management, starting with diabetes, which has a prevalence rate of 10%. Beginning with investments from a16z, Crew Capital, and Anne Wojcicki, we will create a global digital healthcare startup that achieves the vision of increasing the average human lifespan by one year.”
Endo Health boasts a team of co-founders from diverse backgrounds in medicine, AI, and gaming. CEO Hee-sang Yoon, a graduate of Yonsei University College of Medicine, previously served as an AI product leader at Thingsflow, Krafton’s AI content subsidiary. Co-founder Ryu Il-han, also from Thingsflow, has led various AI-based technology teams, including as the tech lead for the couple messenger service ‘Between.’ Co-founder Park Chan-woo is a doctoral candidate in computer engineering at MIT and has authored over 10 AI-related papers.
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