Lark Health, Serving Over 2 Million Users, Files IPO as a Pioneer in AI-Driven Digital Chronic Care

In January this year, the 148th Executive Board of the World Health Organization adopted the Decision on Addressing Diabetes as a Public Health Issue. Diabetes is prevalent worldwide. According to the 9th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas published by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), approximately 463 million adults globally were living with diabetes in 2019, and this number is projected to rise to 700 million by 2045.

Diabetes, as a chronic disease, is characterized by a prolonged course, difficult management, and numerous complications. Therefore, patient self-management is highly emphasized in its treatment. However, given the time-intensive nature of managing this condition, patients commonly exhibit poor treatment adherence and insufficient motivation for self-management.

With the widespread application of digital technologies in the healthcare sector, digital management of diabetes has emerged as a prominent field. Digital therapeutics (DTx) are evidence-based, high-quality interventions driven by software programs, designed to prevent, manage, or treat diseases. They enhance treatment accessibility and personalization, providing patients with more efficient and diverse care options.

Lark Health is a leader in the field of diabetes care within digital therapeutics. It is the world’s second-largest digital therapeutics provider for diabetes prevention programs and the fastest-growing company in disease management for diabetes and hypertension. Currently, it serves nearly 2 million users, offering personalized care services including Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), health management, diabetes care, and hypertension management.

Lark Health is a digital health startup founded in 2011.

Julia Hu, its founder and CEO, began managing her chronic condition at a young age. While battling her illness, she envisioned a better, more supportive, and compassionate solution to improve the use of tools for chronic disease management and prevention. In 2011, she co-founded Lark Health with Chief Technology Officer Jeff Zira.

The company has received numerous awards, including being named by Fierce Healthcare as one of the “15 Most Promising Companies” in 2020 for changing the world by transforming the healthcare industry; earning Apple’s “Top 10 Best Apps” title; and being recognized by Google as “Company of the Year,” among others.

To date, Lark Health has completed several rounds of financing, raising over $95 million.

The most recent financing round was a Series C equity round and debt financing. On October 8, 2020, Lark Health announced the completion of a $55 million Series C financing round, along with a $15 million venture debt credit facility in partnership with Trinity Capital and Bridge Bank. The round was led by King River Capital, with participation from new investors Franklin Templeton, SteelSky Ventures, and Olive Tree Capital, as well as existing investors Lightspeed Ventures and Asset Management Ventures. The proceeds will be used to further expand Lark Health’s relationships with commercial payers and telehealth providers in the prevention and management of chronic diseases.

Data source: VCBeat Orange, Crunchbase

Currently, Lark Health collaborates with numerous health plans, such as Highmark, Inc. and Anthem, Inc.。

In November 2020, Lark Health announced a partnership with HealthPartners. This collaboration provides Lark Health’s AI-based diabetes management program to more than 650,000 HealthPartners members. In February 2021, Medical Mutual, one of the largest health insurers in Ohio, announced a partnership with Lark Health, integrating Lark’s AI-driven chronic disease prevention and management program into Medical Mutual’s population health model.

Lark Health is a chronic disease prevention and care platform that leverages cognitive behavioral therapy frameworks, conversational AI, and connected devices to help individuals maintain health and manage their conditions. It currently offers four care programs: the Diabetes Care Program, the Diabetes Prevention Program, the Hypertension Care Program, and the Behavioral Health Program.

Diabetes Care Plan

Lark Health’s Diabetes Care Program is an integrated digital solution designed to address the shortage of clinical resources in current diabetes care models, a deficit that compromises the regularity and intensity of daily patient care.

This solution integrates smart connected devices, conversational AI, and expert guidance. It utilizes a glucose meter connected to a mobile phone for blood glucose monitoring and employs personalized, around-the-clock coaching to manage stress, nutrition, medication, and physical activity. Its data tracking platform covers blood glucose, activity, nutrition, and sleep, enabling telephone-based nursing care for significant blood glucose fluctuations and medication-related issues. Furthermore, it enhances treatment adherence by sharing and integrating all prior patient-related data.

Diabetes Prevention Program

Lark Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program is designed to help identify and enroll patients with prediabetes, providing them with personalized guidance to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.

Over the course of a one-year care plan, patients learn how to modify their diet, physical activity, sleep habits, and more through interactive coaching. Lark monitors health data from connected devices and other sources, leveraging clinically validated AI-powered health coaching to help patients adhere to their health regimens.

Hypertension Care Plan

Lark Health’s hypertension care program follows a care model largely similar to its diabetes care program. It utilizes digital blood pressure monitors to track users’ blood pressure readings and employs personalized, round-the-clock coaching to manage stress, physical activity, and other factors. Telephone-based nursing consultations are provided in cases of severe blood pressure spikes or medication-related issues.

Meanwhile, AI is leveraged to help patients establish lasting healthy lifestyle habits. Lark’s expert virtual coaching platform and connected devices provide 24/7 real-time support, delivering critical care to patients and helping them manage hypertension and its effects.

Behavioral Health Plan

Lark Health’s behavioral health program is delivered through coaching via Lark Prevention™. Lark Prevention™ leverages AI and cognitive behavioral therapy to drive patient behavior change, providing personalized guidance to help individuals manage or prevent chronic diseases. It currently supports smoking cessation and stress and anxiety relief.

Its application integrates health data from 95% of smartphones, over 70 health monitoring devices, and various apps, automatically tracking patient metrics such as physical activity and sleep, and linking this data to coaches. Behavioral health guidance is then delivered through one-on-one coaching or text-based conversations.

Lark Health leverages cutting-edge conversational AI and connected health monitors to remotely monitor patient conditions, provide one-on-one consultations, and seamlessly address their needs. In the event of emergencies or complex issues, care is escalated via telephone to real-time interactions or to provide recommendations for next steps. Its features include:

Reduce disease management costs by half:By deploying Lark Health’s leading disease management programs, personalized care can be delivered at less than half the cost of other chronic condition management services. As the first AI-powered platform, it provides services equivalent to those of more than 20,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and health coaches, reducing labor costs while freeing up clinical resources for more urgent cases.

Provide data-driven interventions:Personal data collected through connected devices, in-app conversations, and other channels are used to build user profiles that capture each individual’s unique needs and preferences. These insights are then integrated with over one billion data points from other users to deliver the most tailored guidance or health interventions at the precise moment each user needs them.

Maintaining Contact with Patients to Effectively Help Individuals Prevent and Manage Chronic Diseases:Lark Health enables patients to engage from home via their mobile phones; its services are CDC-recognized and have demonstrated positive clinical trial results across 11 peer-reviewed journals and analytical reports. Additionally, it has achieved HITRUST CSF security certification to safeguard patient privacy.

A study published in the 2019 issue of Lark for Diabetes magazine found that patients significantly reduced their A1c levels by 1.1 percentage points in just four months. According to a study in Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, a 1-percentage-point reduction in A1c can lower the incidence of diabetes-related complications by 43%. Another study on hypertension found that patients using Lark reduced their blood pressure by an average of 8.4/6.4 mmHg after six months. Sustained reduction of blood pressure by 5 mmHg is estimated to lower stroke mortality by 14%.

Lark Health’s vision is to provide an affordable, compassionate health companion powered by cutting-edge AI to every individual battling chronic conditions or at risk of developing them, empowering them to improve their overall health and well-being.

Its CEO, Julia Hu, also stated, “Our mission has always been to provide AI-driven, personalized, and immediate care for patients with chronic diseases.”