Johnson & Johnson joins WellDoc’s big funding round

WellDoc’s Series B just got closer to $30 million.
The Midtown-based company, which makes an app for managing type 2 diabetes, announced a total of $29.5 million in its Series B on Tuesday. In December, company officials said they raised $22 million, led by Samsung Ventures and Merck Global Health Innovation Fund.
Though the company is not disclosing how much money each investor provided, a new addition is Johnson & Johnson Innovation — the venture arm of the consumer products giant.
Along with the investment, WellDoc’s BlueStar app will be used in products made by LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company in the diabetes space. BlueStar will be integrated into LifeScan’s OneTouch digital glucose monitoring system. BlueStar, which is FDA-approved and must be prescribed, is designed to help patients self-manage when they are outside the healthcare system through motivation, education and behavioral coaching in real time.
“This is a very significant step forward for our company and has the potential to make a difference in the lives of millions of people living with this chronic disease,” WellDoc CEO Kevin McRaith said in a statement.
BlueStar is also integrated into Samsung’s S Health.