Tortuga Growth Partners has made a strategic investment in Advanced eClinical Training, a provider of online healthcare certification and workforce development programs. The investment was made through Tortuga Growth Partners Fund I and expands TGP’s healthcare investment platform as the firm targets businesses addressing structural workforce challenges.
Advanced eClinical Training, or ACT, provides training, certification and workforce-readiness programs designed to prepare healthcare professionals for frontline clinical roles.
Founded in 2020 by Shay Safarzadeh and Shabnam Safarzadeh, ACT has trained and certified more than 10,000 healthcare professionals.
The company has also developed a network of more than 1,000 healthcare partners, including urgent care centers, physician practices, outpatient clinics, diagnostic laboratories and health systems across the U.S.
ACT specializes in allied health certifications and uses a proprietary technology platform to deliver its educational programs.
The company said its Certified Clinical Medical Assistant program has a 98% pass rate on the National Healthcareer Association exam.
TGP views technology-enabled workforce development as an opportunity to help healthcare organizations address shortages of trained clinical professionals.
According to figures cited by the companies from the American Hospital Association, the U.S. healthcare worker shortage is projected to exceed 3.2 million in 2026.
The investment is intended to provide ACT with additional strategic and operational resources as it expands nationally and develops its healthcare workforce platform.
As part of the partnership, TGP has also assembled a board and observer group to support ACT’s next stage of growth.
The group includes ACT’s founders along with TGP Managing Member Ashray Prasad and operating partners Michael O’Neil, Walt Vester and Marty DeMonte.
O’Neil, founder of patient engagement company Get Well, will serve as Executive Chair of ACT.
TGP said the investment reflects its broader strategy of partnering with founder-led companies addressing large and persistent market challenges through scalable business models.
The private investment firm focuses on buy-and-build strategies designed to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, expand their market presence and develop into category leaders.
KEY QUOTES:
“We built ACT to help address the growing demand for high-quality clinical workforce training. Partnering with TGP gives us the strategic resources and shared conviction needed to accelerate our next phase of growth and continue building the market leader in healthcare workforce development.”
Shay Safarzadeh, Co-Founder of Advanced eClinical Training
“TGP shares our vision for building an enduring platform in this category. Their operational and healthcare expertise make them the ideal partner as we continue scaling nationally.”
Shabnam Safarzadeh, Co-Founder of Advanced eClinical Training
“ACT is addressing a critical workforce challenge at a pivotal moment for healthcare providers. I’m excited to partner with the ACT team to scale its platform and expand its impact across the healthcare ecosystem.”
Michael O’Neil, Executive Chair of Advanced eClinical Training
“Healthcare workforce development sits at the center of one of the industry’s most pressing needs, and we believe ACT has built a differentiated platform with outstanding leadership, a clear market position, and significant runway for growth.”
Ashray Prasad, Managing Member of Tortuga Growth Partners
“We’re excited to partner with Shay, Shabnam, and the broader team to accelerate the company’s next phase of growth while continuing to build a category-defining business that expands access to a high-quality clinical workforce.”
Walt Vester, Senior Managing Director of Tortuga Growth Partners
