pulseData: Better Care for Kidney Disease

Data intelligence solution for chronic kidney disease identification and prediction

Kidneys
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Alumni Ventures

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Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 37 million U.S. adults either undiagnosed or unaware of their severely reduced kidney function. Additionally, despite the enormous cost spent on treating kidney disease ($114 billion a year paid by Medicare alone), patient outcomes are flawed. Nearly one in six dialysis patients die in the first year after starting treatment. The industry is in the midst of a transformative change from a fee-for-service towards a value-based care model.

pulseData, an Alumni Ventures portfolio company, is addressing the transition with a data intelligence operating platform that delivers value-based chronic disease care towards which nephrology is transitioning. The company uses software, prediction models, and measurement to drive precise and timely human interventions for chronic disease sufferers to reduce bad events, improve health outcomes, and cut down medical costs.

Decreased Costs, Increased Care

pulseData’s platform identifies CKD sufferers, predicts who will suffer an acute event within a narrow time window, and maps patients to specific actions and care management. The ability to plan and map out a patient’s symptoms reduces the potential of an unplanned trip to the emergency room, where the cost is nearly 8x more than clinical visits. This approach has led to significantly improved outcomes among the platform’s users, such as optimal dialysis starts, more home dialysis, early transplant, delayed End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and fewer emergency room admissions.

Investment Opportunity

Customer Momentum: pulseData has a strategic partnership with a top 3 renal health care company that is also an investor. The company also has enterprise customers such as Monogram Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Kidney Health Initiative. Additionally, some customers have already extended their initial contract.

Industry and COVID-Related Demand: pulseData’s platform has proven to be valuable during the pandemic, as patients with CKD or ESRD are more susceptible to the virus. The need for value-based care has also increased demand as the costs for unplanned dialysis treatment are extremely high.

Knowledgeable Team: pulseData’s CEO and team have deep technical and startup experience and decades of experience working with large data sets and covering senior positions at early-stage companies.

Established Lead Investor: Bain Capital is an established private multi-asset alternative investment firm with approximately $120 billion of assets under management.

How We Are Involved

Alumni Ventures’ Triphammer Ventures (for Cornell alumni and friends of the community) and sibling funds deployed capital in pulseData’s $16.5 million Series A led by Bain Capital Private Equity and Two Bear Capital.

20%

20%

of medicare dollars are spent on CKD patients

100K

100K

people begin hemodialysis each year

35%

35%

of ESRD patients re-admit within 30 days

Investment Opportunity

Customer Momentum: pulseData has a strategic partnership with a top 3 renal health care company that is also an investor. The company also has enterprise customers such as Monogram Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Kidney Health Initiative. Additionally, some customers have already extended their initial contract.

Industry and COVID-Related Demand: pulseData’s platform has proven to be valuable during the pandemic, as patients with CKD or ESRD are more susceptible to the virus. The need for value-based care has also increased demand as the costs for unplanned dialysis treatment are extremely high.

Knowledgeable Team: pulseData’s CEO and team have deep technical and startup experience and decades of experience working with large data sets and covering senior positions at early-stage companies.

Established Lead Investor: Bain Capital is an established private multi-asset alternative investment firm with approximately $120 billion of assets under management.

How We Are Involved

Alumni Ventures’ Triphammer Ventures (for Cornell alumni and friends of the community) and sibling funds deployed capital in pulseData’s $16.5 million Series A led by Bain Capital Private Equity and Two Bear Capital.