Cara Care Raises $7M Series A Funding Round Led by J&J & Asabys
The mobile platform for better gut health is moving deeper into digital therapeutics
Patient-centric digital therapeutic Cara Care has raised $7 million in Series A funding round. Led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Asabys Partners, the investment round included participation from existing investor Atlantic Labs.
Cara Care adds a new dimension to treatment for those suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.
The annual healthcare expenditures for gastrointestinal disease in the United States are $136 million, a staggering amount that exceeds that of heart disease, trauma, and mental health, says Cara Care.
The Berlin-based digital health startup now has more than $9 million in total funding.
The latest funding will be used to expand the market launch of Cara Care’s mobile companion app for people with digestive health issues, with a primary focus on the United States. With a 78.8 percent treatment success rate, the digital health company says it has helped over 400,000 people in Germany and the United States suffering from digestive diseases such as IBS, IBD, GERD, food intolerances, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Founded in 2016 by André Sommer and Jesaja Brinkmann, the Cara Care smart app includes medication management, dietary interventions, and emphasizes mental health interventions to improve GI health.
“Digital therapeutics is the next big movement in healthcare, and Cara Care is one of the most advanced companies in this field. Soon the Cara Care app will be able to help millions of patients with digestive diseases in Europe and the U.S.,” said Christophe Maire, founder and CEO of Atlantic Labs.
Cara Care will also use the money raised in the Series A funding round to conduct additional scientific research to learn more about digestive diseases, triggers, and flare-up causes. The digital health company says it’s simultaneously expanding partnerships with professionals in the pharmaceutical, diagnostic laboratories, and food manufacturing industries.
“It is clear that digital therapeutics will play a crucial future role in the treatment of individuals with chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS. I believe that these digital treatments will help improve patient compliance to medication and lifestyle changes, delivering better outcomes across this patient population,” said Anthony J. Lembo, M.D., professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the GI Motility Laboratory at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Since GI diseases can be influenced by diet, stress, mental health, and physical activity, the Cara Care app can have a significant therapeutic effect, says André Sommer, M.D. “By identifying individual triggers for symptoms and flares, we can tailor interventions to reduce symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life. Based on the health and lifestyle data, it is further possible to optimize medication intake, increase adherence and match the right therapy with the right patient,” Sommer explained.
The Cara Care app is available in both German and English for iOS and Android.
