Scene Health raised a $17.7M Series B. What’s next for the healthtech company?

On the heels of the CDC’s endorsement of video Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) as equivalent to in-person DOT for tuberculosis treatment, the healthcare tech company formerly known as emocha Health (and legally as emocha Mobile Health) has made steady moves since its rebrand and $2 million later-stage VC round in 2022.

Scene Health logged a $14 million raise with the SEC earlier this month. Cofounder and CEO Sebastian Seiguer described this raise as part of “part of our oversubscribed $17.7 million Series B growth financing round.” That round was led by ABS Capital Partners, a largely tech- and healthcare-focused private equity fund with offices in DC and the Baltimore suburb of Hunt Valley. Claritas Health Ventures, Healthworx (the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield), PTX Capital and Kapor Capital also participated in this round. 

Seiguer also said the company’s rebranding from emocha to Scene Health, which took place just after its last $2 million fundraising round in October 2022, had no impact on its mission.

“Our rebrand does not change our commitment to empower every patient to take every dose of medication properly by building trust through person-to-person connections that support health, every day,” he said, adding: “It was time to reinvent ourselves for a new chapter of growth, and this new name and brand identity better conveys our focus on patients and our commitment to meet each person at the scene of their health.”

The former Mt. Vernon-based digital health company collects data on medication adherence and patient engagement through its platform, providing insights to improve patient outcomes for healthcare plans. With funding from its latest round, Scene Health plans to identify programs and initiatives that can impact patient outcomes using data, such as transportation to and from a pharmacy. Scene Health recently earned a National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Small Business Innovation Research award for $1.67M to support pediatric heart transplant patients through its platform in Florida; this intervention could potentially reduce the frequency of organ rejection over the next two years.

Scene Health CEO Sebastian Seiguer. (Courtesy photo)

Seiguer also noted Scene Health’s new initiatives, such as the Panorama model of care and the medication engagement program for hypertension.

“Scene is our company, and Panorama is our holistic model of care that combines people, science, and technology,” he explained. “It’s more than just video Directly Observed Therapy. It’s a 360° approach to health that tackles challenges and motivates lasting change.”

Regarding the medication engagement program, he said: “The novel program will empower patients to take medication properly by providing daily support between medical appointments and enable health plans to document value-based outcomes.”

The program will provide daily support between medical appointments and enable health plans to document value-based outcomes, driving patient awareness of indicators such as blood pressure readings. The approach to patient-reported outcomes has also been piloted in diabetes and asthma programs.

In the spirit of Technical.ly’s May editorial calendar theme, “The State of Local Tech,” Seiguer also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Scene Health’s business and strategy.

“COVID-19 changed the way people think about accessing healthcare and made digital health much more commonly accepted,” he said. “This change has driven the expansion of our platform and enabled us to impact more patients to support medication adherence.”

When asked about the company’s ultimate goal or vision for improving healthcare through technology in 2023, Seiguer said: “We envision a world where people have the support they need to successfully take every dose of their medication, preventing billions of dollars in unnecessary healthcare costs, hospitalizations, and countless deaths.” 

Scene Health also plans to move into a new office in North Baltimore this year, after closing its Mount Vernon office during the pandemic.