RxDiet Raises $3M for AI-Powered ‘Food as Medicine’ Platform
The nutrition startup offers healthcare-covered access to personalized nutrition programs, recipes and fresh ingredients
RxDiet, an AI-driven personalized nutrition app that creates custom food plans and delivers fresh ingredients, has secured $3 million in a seed funding round as it plans to spread the growing concept of ‘food as medicine’ and improve the health of its members.
The New York-based startup will use the funding to grow its team, bolster its grocery network and reach additional healthcare payers.
After downloading the RxDiet app, users are asked to provide their healthcare membership ID number. They can then provide information on their health concerns, body makeup and food preferences before a personalized nutrition program and recipes are created with the help of AI and RxDiet’s live care team. The ingredients are then delivered to RxDiet users.
The platform has already partnered with two of the largest health insurers in the U.S., covering the program’s cost for their health plan subscribers. A low-cost digital tool is slated to launch this year to offer greater affordability for insurers.
Notably, RxDiet has a 76% app usage rate among seniors, who can connect with fellow users, sharing their challenges and achievements.
“We want food to be at the forefront of medicine,” co-founder and CEO Roman Kalista said. “Using food to treat chronic conditions is often cost-prohibitive, and RxDiet has lowered the bar significantly for healthcare payers to adopt a program that drives unprecedented engagement, clinical outcomes and member satisfaction.”
Kalista, who founded RxDiet with Jan Skvaril, added that the funding round will enable RxDiet to reach more patients in the U.S.
“RxDiet is a game changer for healthy eating,” said Jia Lin of Giant Ventures, which led the funding round. “As the disease burden from chronic conditions grows, RxDiet’s holistic solution serves a critical function not only in managing and reversing these conditions but also preventing them. We are excited about RxDiet as their highly scalable AI platform breaks down the barriers of healthy food, making it equally affordable, personalized, and engaging for someone in urban New York as it is for someone in rural Georgia.”
In addition to Giant Ventures, RxDiet saw participation from Better Ventures, Form Life and angel investors.
Platforms including Foodsmart, Nourish and Fay, all of which connect people with registered dietitians (RDs) for personalized nutrition advice covered by healthcare, have also reeled in funding in recent months as investors and consumers embrace the use of food as medicine.
