Even after billions of venture capital raised and invested in the digital health space, quality healthcare is still difficult to access. And while that might raise questions about whether a scrappy startup has a fighting chance of getting things right, for the entrepreneur Mind Hinsonit simply means that Juno it needs to be even smarter about the neighborhoods it targets.
Hinson, Juno’s founder and CEO and a physician by profession, is building a healthcare model that delivers personalized care to neighborhoods across the country. The startup’s modern take on a healthcare visit means it competes with heavyweights such as A Medicine AND CityBlock Health. But that hasn’t stopped investors from recently leading a $12 million Series A in the startup, a round co-led by Serena Ventures and NEXT ventures.
Proof can be in focus. Hinson explained this CityBlock Health focuses exclusively on Medicaid and Medicare eligible patients, who tend to be some of the sickest patients in the health care system; while One Medical, on the other end of the spectrum, appears as a type of exclusive membership program that is often paid for by employers. Juno wants to be for people who don’t fit into either category, which it thinks is 99% of the population.
“Our approach is to have open access and create additional products for people who want an extra dose of convenience, savings and support,” Hinson said, adding that Juno is more focused on providing family care at scale. In action, that means Juno works to provide services from pediatrics to OBGYN. “What that means is that, as opposed to an exclusive membership model, anyone can come in and get their care … from all walks of life in these neighborhoods.” The company also offers higher acuity services, such as X-rays.
To be truly open access, and also to offer everything from primary care for adults to same-day care, comes with its own costs – which is why so many companies aiming to offer a one-stop shop have to raise nine-figure rounds. Juno recently began offering add-on plans ranging from $20 to $50 per month for families who want a more convenient experience, such as night and weekend dating or better savings. Her challenge will be scaling this service beyond its brick-and-mortar locations in a way that makes backers of her newfound venture happy.
With new capital under its belt, Juno is looking to expand its team and services in East Atlanta, Greenwood and Inglewood.
“We don’t think you should have to click 35 times just to find out what your vital signs were at your last appointment or to see your labs,” Hinson said. “The Juno story is much more about technology being an enabler for great care — I wouldn’t even call us a digital health company, we’re a high-tech enabled health service.”
