Menu Icon
Refresh Miami Logo
Search Icon
Sign Up Sign In

Porter raises $5.4M seed round to simplify and optimize patients’ at-home care journey

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg
PinLinkedIn

By Nancy Dahlberg

Porter, a digital health startup, has created a technology platform that guides patients and caregivers to make informed, personalized health decisions. Its clinical services platform aims to benefit patients and payors alike.  

The Miami-based company emerged from stealth mode in early 2022, and this week Porter announced it has raised $5.4 million in seed funding led by Grit Capital Partners, Old Line Capital, and JLC Family Office. 

The company was founded by John Criswell, who sold Pulse8, his data analytics company focused on healthcare, to Allscripts, and is the inventor of a patented method for risk adjustment data analytics. After suffering a pelvic fracture in a cycling accident and trying to navigate the healthcare system, Criswell discovered how fragmented the care-at-home journey was. He witnessed how patients were leaving care settings with minimal guidance on the next steps.

“I struggled. I was challenged with understanding speed to recovery, understanding the right treatment plan, understanding what my insurance company would support and not support… I just said this can be solved through technology and through those clinical and non-clinical resources to help that transition to care in the home,” Criswell said in an interview with Refresh Miami.

John Criswell, Porter Founder and CEO

That’s where Porter comes in — making sure patients are front and center, according to Criswell. “Every health plan member needs a Porter to help coordinate the complexities of their unique care journey.  And health plans understand the importance of bringing a comprehensive in-home care visit that addresses quality and care coordination first.”

Driven by AI, Porter’s virtual Care Guides help its members navigate the healthcare delivery system and secures the right support for each member’s unique needs for care at home. Porter connects members with the personalized services, products and information, such as navigable content, a curated marketplace, insurance coverage information, and a supportive online health community. Porter’s clinicians, ranging from RNs to nurse practitioners, can also come to the member’s home as needed.

“Porter’s approach and innovative model really caught our attention, especially since the company achieved its early growth on a small amount of capital,” said Paul Palmieri, Managing Partner at Grit Capital Partners.  “Porter’s combination of care coordination with strong data analytics and coverage insights, gives the company massive credibility with members.”

Right now, Porter is available to customers nationwide through health insurance plans. Criswell said the company plans to extend service to employer groups and direct to consumer in the future.

With the funding, he said, “we will continue to build our platform in a way that I believe brings compassion, empathy and manages the complexities that exist between healthcare delivery and insurance.”

Porter, founded in 2021, is part of Miami’s growing healthtech sector, which is one of the region’s most active for venture capital. Porter is a team of 25, four of which live in the Miami area, including Criswell.

“We love it here,” said Criswell. “I’ve appreciated the focus from the mayor and the city on building a tech sector and there has been a lot of successful health companies coming out of the area. I think that’s fantastic.”

Porter also announced that George Davis, a technology C-suite advisor with Evergreen Advisors. and Phil Traylor, CEO of TapCloud and long-time healthcare innovator, have joined the company’s board of directors.

Follow Nancy Dahlberg on Twitter @ndahlberg and Linkedin. Email her at [email protected]

READ MORE ON REFRESH MIAMI:

Nancy Dahlberg
Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all)