Gradia Health is a concierge care platform for clinics to serve patients with chronic conditions better. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Gradia co-founder and CEO Rithvik Seela to learn more.
Formation Of Gradia Health
Gradia Co-Founders: Andrew Zelaya (left) and Rithvik Seela (right)
How did the idea for Gradia Health come together? Seela said:
“My co-founder, Andrew Zelaya, and I started Gradia while attending Stanford. During our time there, we studied computer science and, by that point, had spent thousands of hours in clinics for personal reasons.”
“This was a very formative experience — we quickly realized that patient care needed to be more cohesive and extend far beyond the typically brief clinic appointment. So, we left Stanford to pioneer a new evolution in patient care and develop a better way to track, monitor, and deliver post-clinic care.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for Gradia Health so far? Seela reflected:
“A specific collection of memories from the early days of Gradia stands out. I firmly believe that you can’t meaningfully innovate in an area unless you find a way to become intimately familiar with the rules/incentives governing behavior and develop a long-term view of how they might impact the product you’re building.”
“With this in mind, Andrew and I spent several months working for free in clinics. During this time, we immersed ourselves in several different roles and learned a lot through osmosis while experiencing first-hand the myriad problems faced by clinicians and patients. Not only did this help us identify the most important forces acting on Gradia’s free body diagram (and their corresponding magnitudes), but it also energized our mission and clarified our vision for building Gradia.”
Macroeconomic Climate
How does Gradia make an impact to healthcare’s current macroeconomic climate? Seela noted:
“Today, physicians are grappling with software constraints, staffing shortages, and limited bandwidth, often leaving them ill-equipped to provide the sustained care necessary for patients with chronic conditions to improve after their clinic visits. These patients often struggle the most on their path to recovery and cause significant burden to our healthcare system.”
“Gradia serves as a critical connective tissue between in-person appointments, equipping physicians with the tools to delegate and monitor patient care more effectively in a virtual setting. This enhanced oversight holds immense potential not only to improve patient outcomes but also to reduce the overall cost of delivering care. By providing these tools, Gradia allows physicians to go the extra mile for their patients without becoming overwhelmed, ultimately bringing more joy to their profession.”
Core Products
What are Gradia Health’s core products and features? Seela explained:
“Gradia’s primary offering is an integrated care platform designed to empower physicians in providing continuous, high-touch care to patients who need it the most. Our core product facilitates the establishment, management, and oversight of specialized virtual care teams — including dietitians and nurses — who work closely with patients between their in-person appointments.”
“This model effectively augments traditional brick-and-mortar practices, addressing the shortcomings of traditional healthcare delivery methods. Furthermore, Gradia fosters direct and straightforward communication between patients and care providers, ensuring patients remain informed about their care status. With direct access to these specialized care teams, patients receive the continuous care and support they need, which is particularly crucial for managing chronic conditions.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of Gradia Health’s most significant milestones? Seela highlighted:
“Gradia was founded in 2021, and in July of 2023, Gradia announced its seed funding totaling $4.2 million. The round was led by Adrian Fenty at MaC Venture Capital with participation from YCombinator, Soma Capital, Atlanta Ventures and several angel investors, including Gene Lee (Ramp), Eric Feldman (Bolt), David Tsao (BillionToOne), Austen Allred (Bloomtech), Juan Benet and Jesse Clayburgh (Protocol Labs) and Jude Gomila (Golden). For many patients we serve, Gradia is also covered almost entirely by their insurance.”
Customer Success Stories
Upon asking Seela about customer success stories, he replied:
“Many patients using Gradia have experienced substantial health improvements, higher satisfaction with the quality of their care, and overall improved well-being. One such patient, ‘Emily,’ was dealing with severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and faced the risk of hospitalization.”
“Despite being on multiple medications, Emily’s distressing symptoms persisted. However, after joining Gradia, her physician-guided virtual care team provided tailored lifestyle modifications that complemented her existing medication regimen.”
“These adjustments, including strategic dietary changes and effective stress management techniques, led to a notable reduction in her IBS symptoms, with Emily reporting better sleep, less anxiety, and a return to activities she had previously avoided due to her symptoms.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size Gradia Health is pursuing? Seela assessed:
“Gradia partners with several multi-provider clinics that serve thousands of the 60-70 million Americans who have chronic GI conditions, including IBS, GERD, fatty liver, and more. We hope to support every patient who has a chronic condition and could benefit from high touch, integrated care.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates Gradia Health from its competition? Seela affirmed:
“Gradia is committed to amplifying the abilities of physicians, not supplanting them. We integrate seamlessly with existing clinics, substantially enhancing their capacity to deliver care. As a result, physicians can serve a larger number of patients while maintaining superior standards for quality.”
“Traditionally, the high-touch, personalized nature of concierge care has been reserved for a select few. However, Gradia is shifting this paradigm by leveraging software to make this high level of care accessible to all. Our platform enables clinicians to apply the principles of integrated, concierge care — such as low-latency communication, personalized guidance, and greater access to mid-level practitioners — to their entire patient population.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of Gradia Health’s future company goals? Seela concluded:
“In the near term, our aim is to triple our patient base by the end of the year. More broadly, we’re focused on expanding our team and continuously iterating upon and developing new care pathways in collaboration with physicians. Our ultimate goal is to make Gradia the gold standard for care in every specialty and for every patient with a chronic condition.”
