Heartbeat Health Redefines Cardiac Care with $20M Series B Funding and Hybrid Digital-Preventive Model

Today, we may still spend much time reflecting on the myriad impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is worth remembering that other health issues have not disappeared—heart disease remains a leading cause of death worldwide.

According to the "2019 Global Health Estimates" report released by the World Health Organization in 2020, heart disease has remained the "leading killer" over the past two decades. Currently, deaths from heart disease account for 16% of all deaths. Since 2000, the number of deaths from heart disease has increased by more than 2 million. 

Heart health is garnering increasing attention, and its management is becoming increasingly digital.

Heartbeat Health, a startup dedicated to transforming the delivery of cardiac care, focuses on cardiovascular health by integrating digital medicine with traditional cardiac services. Through a hybrid product model combining digital and clinical assessments, it enables rapid detection of heart disease and comprehensive cardiac management, helping patients maintain optimal heart health and redefining new standards for cardiac care.

In May 2021, Heartbeat Health, five years after its founding, completed a $20 million Series B financing round. The round was led by Echo Health Ventures, with participation from DaVita Venture Group and existing investors 406 Ventures, Optum Ventures, Kindred Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Designer Fund, and Max Ventures. The successful growth of Heartbeat Health also highlights the substantial demand and broad development prospects in the field of cardiac care.

Amid the rapid surge of mobile internet, digital health is regarded as another disruptive approach to healthcare. In the field of chronic disease management—particularly for costly and challenging conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and pulmonary diseases—the efficacy of related mHealth apps in remote monitoring and behavioral modification has gained recognition from hospitals and physicians, emerging as a significant new force that can no longer be overlooked.

Frustratingly, traditional cardiology has focused on treating advanced-stage disease—while the new technologies developed to extend the lifespan and improve the quality of life for patients with advanced cardiovascular disease are indeed remarkable, prevention has been left behind.

As a young cardiologist, Jeffrey Wessler knew that much of his time would be spent treating patients with heart disease. ButHe said, “Over the past seven years or so, we have learned how to provide effective treatment when people fall ill, but we have done a very poor job of keeping them healthy.”Cardiovascular health issues are not limited to diagnosed patients; for the general population, safeguarding heart health is even more critical. Prioritizing cardiovascular health management can significantly reduce the incidence of heart disease.

Therefore, he began studying how to help high-risk individuals avoid illness through lifestyle modifications and other interventions, proposing a new specialty that he termed preventive cardiology. He stated that the methods for delivering cardiovascular care have remained virtually unchanged. To a large extent, this is because the existing model is functional, yet there remains room for improvement.

Wessler stated, “I want to figure out whether we can shift from a reactive state to a proactive one.” For him, this is indeed the next wave in healthcare.

“I believe the next frontier in cardiology is the implementation of preventive cardiology—leveraging advances in digital and health technologies to support a broad initiative that engages younger, healthier individuals in heart health before they become ill,” said Jeffrey Wessler, founder of Heartbeat Health, in an interview.

In late 2016, Wessler co-founded Heartbeat Health alongside a group of Colombian-trained cardiologists, as well as engineers, data scientists, and patient experience experts. The concept was to establish clinics designed to attract patients at risk for heart disease and other chronic conditions.

In August 2017, Heartbeat Health secured its first round of funding, amounting to $300,000.

In January 2018, just over a year after its founding, Heartbeat Health began testing its approach with more than 2,000 participants and opened its clinics to the public. The company currently operates two clinics in New York, with two additional locations in preparation for opening.

Heartbeat Health provides virtual, timely cardiovascular disease prevention and management. Through its data-driven platform and clinical services, the company helps patients and high-risk populations benefit from high-value care by reducing cardiovascular risk and the likelihood of future adverse events. It offers tools and resources,Securely connecting patients with doctors via the internet,Facilitates real-time information sharing and collaborative treatment and dietary counseling, helps patients track heart health and connect with cardiologists, forSupportTools and Resources for Cardiac Care for Patients and Healthcare Professionals

Heartbeat Health’s foundational model leverages diverse data sources—including patients’ wearable devices, biometric screening, or primary care testing—to identify patient risks, then integrates them into an ECG monitoring platform to establish physician-patient relationships. Heartbeat Health provides education on cardiovascular disease risks, the significance of blood pressure and its management, as well as target goals for various risk factors. Subsequently, patients are directed to the appropriate care settings, enablingIndividuals with different identities, such asPrimary care physicians, cardiologists, diagnostic testing professionals, and subspecialists provide comprehensive patient care. Subsequent follow-up demonstrates that unified care can indeed improve treatment outcomes and clinically validate the effectiveness of connected care.

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Furthermore, Heartbeat Health places significant emphasis on its in-person care experience. Although many startups have emerged in recent years—either connecting consumers with physicians via smartphones or using algorithms to triage medical conditions—a prevailing view in the healthcare industry holds that even millennials and the most digitally savvy patients still require face-to-face appointments with doctors. In response, Heartbeat Health has strategically established brick-and-mortar clinics. By 2018, the company already operated two physical clinics in New York.

“We really need the eyes and touch of a doctor” to change people’s behavior, said Wessler, who explained why he chose to open physical clinics despite the added costs, rather than operating solely on a software-based model.

After raising $8.2 million in Series A funding on March 12, 2020, Heartbeat Health completed a $20 million Series B financing round this May.

“The goal of this funding is to expand the company’s business across China. We are now ready to apply our past experience to future development, increasing both the number of patients we serve and the companies we partner with. This requires top talent and comes at a cost,” said Wessler.

The company also plans to use the new funding for research and development. A portion of the funds will also be used to expand clinical services provided to high-risk populations.

“From the outset, Heartbeat Health has focused on evidence-based care, patient outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and clinical tools built by cardiologists for cardiologists. With this focus, they have become a market leader in a new model of patient-centered cardiovascular care,” said Jessica Zeaske, Partner at Echo Health Ventures. Echo Health Ventures looks forward to collaborating with Heartbeat Health to address critical issues in cardiovascular disease prevention and management through the Heartbeat Health platform and a new value-based care model.

“The statistics on cardiovascular disease are staggering—heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Many of the challenges facing heart health are linked to preventable factors, making the conditions ripe for high-quality virtual care,” said Payal Divakaran, Partner at 406 Ventures, in a statement. “We are excited to support Heartbeat Health, as it has developed the first, best, and only solution to this problem, which was recently highlighted by the cardiovascular research community. We were also drawn to Dr. Wessler and his exceptional team of co-founders.”

Heartbeat Health stated that within five to ten years, it will gather compelling evidence demonstrating a reduction in heart attacks and strokes among its patients. This will spare insurers the cost of expensive hospitalizations and emergency room visits, positioning Heartbeat Health to improve patient outcomes and move away from the fee-for-service model.