Kaiser Permanente Ventures closes Fund V with $141 million in total capital

Fund V continues KP Ventures' focus on investments in innovative health care IT, services, devices, and precision medicine companies

News provided by

The Permanente Federation

Dec 05, 2019, 08:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente Ventures (KPV) today announced it has closed its fifth investment fund at $141 million, bringing the total assets under management to more than $500 million. This latest fund includes financial commitments from Kaiser Permanente and a diverse group of new and returning external strategic investors including Tufts Health Plan, Henry Ford Health System, and Highmark Ventures, a subsidiary of Highmark Health.

KPV Fund V will continue KPV's focus on supporting the growth of innovative companies that are addressing some of the most important unmet needs in the health care system.

"We are in the midst of a tremendous opportunity as the U.S. health care system transitions to value-based care," said Chris Grant, executive vice president and chief operating officer, The Permanente Federation, and co-founder, KPV. "To succeed in this shift, and to help Kaiser Permanente advance its own efforts to deliver high-quality, accessible, and cost-effective care, we continue to find and fund the innovations and entrepreneurs that understand where the system is headed and that can enable its future success."

The Permanente Federation is the national leadership and consulting organization for the eight Permanente Medical Groups, which are composed of nearly 23,000 physicians who care for 12.2 million Kaiser Permanente members.

KPV invests in companies focused on health information technology, digital health, health care services, medical devices, diagnostics, and precision medicine. The team partners with entrepreneurs to advance solutions aligned with Kaiser Permanente's focus on quality, affordable, and accessible health care. The firm has invested in more than 70 companies through its venture funds since the program's inception in 1998.

KPV's portfolio represents some of the most important innovations in health care delivery since it was founded 20 years ago. The KPV portfolio includes iRhythm (IRTC), an ambulatory cardiac monitoring company; Health Catalyst (HCST), an industry leader in health care analytics and outcomes improvement solutions; and Omada Health, the pioneer in digital health and behavioral change.

Sam Brasch, senior managing director, KPV, said the organization has achieved success by taking the tremendous insights it derives from its deep engagement with Kaiser Permanente and investment partners, and applying those learnings to support entrepreneurs. By working closely as a conduit between Kaiser Permanente, its investment partners, and the innovation ecosystem, KPV has helped emerging companies better understand and build products and services that fulfill the actual needs of the health care system and the individual health care consumer.

"The success of Fund V underscores our proven ability to identify and meaningfully support entrepreneurs tackling the most pressing challenges facing the U.S. health care system," said Brasch. "I'm excited by the opportunity to build on our successes as we look to advance innovations that improve health and health delivery in the United States."

Visit the site at https://kpventures.com.

About Kaiser Permanente Ventures
Kaiser Permanente Ventures, a venture capital arm of Kaiser Permanente, is dedicated to partnering with entrepreneurs to advance clinical quality, service, and affordability. The firm invests in the health care sector primarily in the United States with a focus on health information technology, digital health, health care services, medical devices, diagnostics, and precision medicine. It has 20 years of venture capital investing experience, with more than $500 million under management.

About The Permanente Federation
The Permanente Federation LLC (the Federation) is the national leadership and consulting organization for the eight Permanente Medical Groups (PMGs), which, together with the Kaiser Foundation Health Plans and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, comprise Kaiser Permanente. The Federation works on behalf of the PMGs to optimize care delivery and spread Permanente Medicine – medicine that is person- and family-centered, compassionate, evidence-based, technology-enabled, culturally responsive, team delivered, and physician led. The Federation, based in Oakland, California, fosters an open learning environment and accelerates research, innovation, and performance improvements across the PMGs to expand the reach of Kaiser Permanente's integrated care delivery model and to lead the nation in transforming care delivery.

SOURCE The Permanente Federation