Wellinks Announces $25M in New Funding to Expand First Integrated Virtual COPD Management Solution to More Patients

November 2, 2021
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NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 3, 2021 – Wellinks, a digital healthcare company offering the first-ever integrated, virtual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management solution, today announced it has closed a $25 million funding round. New investor Morningside Ventures led the round, and was joined by returning investors HighCape Capital, Connecticut Innovations, Benslie Ltd., and Stonehenge Capital. The new funding will accelerate Wellinks’ growth, as well as its development of clinical research studies. As part of the funding round, Stephen Bruso of Morningside Ventures will join Wellinks’ board of directors.

 

“COPD is one of the costliest, most common chronic conditions in the U.S., but it hasn’t yet received the same level of innovation and investment as other chronic conditions have” said Alex Waldron, Wellinks CEO. “At Wellinks, we are combining evidence-based care and technology into a virtual-first solution that prioritizes the individual experience, meets the patient where they are, and empowers them to take control of their COPD.”

 

COPD is the third leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. and the fifth most costly chronic condition, with an estimated $49.9 billion spent annually. Unfortunately, the current care system for COPD remains fragmented and difficult for many patients to access. Despite evidence that integrated COPD care can reduce30-day hospital readmissions by as much as 57 percent, and that pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce COPD costs by as much as $650 per week, patients lack meaningful access.Wellinks combines virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, personalized health coaching, and monitoring through connected devices and a patient-friendly app.The product strives to close access barriers through easy integration with existing care plans.

 

“When it comes to chronic diseases like COPD, traditional healthcare delivery models fall short in meeting patients’ needs and improving outcomes,” said Bruso. “By delivering care to patients in their own homes through a virtual-first approach, we believe that Wellinks’ digital health platform will help close critical gaps in care for patients and reduce costs across the health care system by preventing costly ER visits and hospitalizations.”

 

Wellinks will use this new infusion of capital to continue expanding its partnerships with payers and providers to provide its COPD management solution to more patients, and continue to expand its talented team to support that growth. Additionally, the funds will support the development of new clinical research studies examining both the clinical and economic outcomes of the virtual-first solution.

 

Wellinks was established in 2019 through the merger of two existing companies, ConvexityScientific Inc. and Wellinks. In bringing together the digital health expertise from the original Wellinks team, and the medical device expertise of ConvexityScientific Inc, the company set out to reimagine COPD care. This funding round, a Series C, follows a $14 million Series B led by HighCape in 2019.

 

About Wellinks

Wellinks, formerly Convexity Scientific Inc., is a digital health care company offering the first-ever integrated virtual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)management solution. Wellinks is partnering with health systems and risk bearing entities to lower costs, improve access, and empower greater outcomes for people living with COPD and those responsible for their care. Based in NewHaven, Connecticut, Wellinks is led by a team of digital health veterans and backed by leading investment firms including Morningside, HighCape Capital,Connecticut Innovations, and Benslie. For more information, visit www.wellinks.com and follow onTwitter (@WellinksHealth) and LinkedIn.

 

About Morningside Ventures

Founded in 1986 by the Chan family, Morningside is a technology and life science venture investment firm. With offices in Boston, Shanghai and London, the firm invests globally. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Ventures is strongly committed to social responsibility. For more information visit www.morningside.com.

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Nov. 3, 2021 – Wellinks, a digital healthcare company offering the first-ever integrated, virtual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) management solution, today announced it has closed a $25 million funding round. New investor Morningside Ventures led the round, and was joined by returning investors HighCape Capital, Connecticut Innovations, Benslie Ltd., and Stonehenge Capital. The new funding will accelerate Wellinks’ growth, as well as its development of clinical research studies. As part of the funding round, Stephen Bruso of Morningside Ventures will join Wellinks’ board of directors.

 

“COPD is one of the costliest, most common chronic conditions in the U.S., but it hasn’t yet received the same level of innovation and investment as other chronic conditions have” said Alex Waldron, Wellinks CEO. “At Wellinks, we are combining evidence-based care and technology into a virtual-first solution that prioritizes the individual experience, meets the patient where they are, and empowers them to take control of their COPD.”

 

COPD is the third leading cause of death by disease in the U.S. and the fifth most costly chronic condition, with an estimated $49.9 billion spent annually. Unfortunately, the current care system for COPD remains fragmented and difficult for many patients to access. Despite evidence that integrated COPD care can reduce30-day hospital readmissions by as much as 57 percent, and that pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce COPD costs by as much as $650 per week, patients lack meaningful access.Wellinks combines virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, personalized health coaching, and monitoring through connected devices and a patient-friendly app.The product strives to close access barriers through easy integration with existing care plans.

 

“When it comes to chronic diseases like COPD, traditional healthcare delivery models fall short in meeting patients’ needs and improving outcomes,” said Bruso. “By delivering care to patients in their own homes through a virtual-first approach, we believe that Wellinks’ digital health platform will help close critical gaps in care for patients and reduce costs across the health care system by preventing costly ER visits and hospitalizations.”

 

Wellinks will use this new infusion of capital to continue expanding its partnerships with payers and providers to provide its COPD management solution to more patients, and continue to expand its talented team to support that growth. Additionally, the funds will support the development of new clinical research studies examining both the clinical and economic outcomes of the virtual-first solution.

 

Wellinks was established in 2019 through the merger of two existing companies, ConvexityScientific Inc. and Wellinks. In bringing together the digital health expertise from the original Wellinks team, and the medical device expertise of ConvexityScientific Inc, the company set out to reimagine COPD care. This funding round, a Series C, follows a $14 million Series B led by HighCape in 2019.

 

About Wellinks

Wellinks, formerly Convexity Scientific Inc., is a digital health care company offering the first-ever integrated virtual Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)management solution. Wellinks is partnering with health systems and risk bearing entities to lower costs, improve access, and empower greater outcomes for people living with COPD and those responsible for their care. Based in NewHaven, Connecticut, Wellinks is led by a team of digital health veterans and backed by leading investment firms including Morningside, HighCape Capital,Connecticut Innovations, and Benslie. For more information, visit www.wellinks.com and follow onTwitter (@WellinksHealth) and LinkedIn.

 

About Morningside Ventures

Founded in 1986 by the Chan family, Morningside is a technology and life science venture investment firm. With offices in Boston, Shanghai and London, the firm invests globally. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Ventures is strongly committed to social responsibility. For more information visit www.morningside.com.

Driving Better Outcomes
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Wellinks is excited to announce the final results of ASPIRE – a clinical trial conducted with the COPD Foundation to assess the impact of Wellinks on quality of life, engagement and satisfaction among COPDF members living with COPD.

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Each participant received personalized health coaching, virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, and monitoring through connected devices and a patient-facing app.

The study enrolled 141 members in the trial, with 119 completing the 24-week study. These results demonstrate sustained engagement, satisfaction, and clinical response with Wellinks.

Interested in learning more about Wellinks?

Request a Demo Today

Wellinks Engagement at 24 Weeks
(n = 141)

61%
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Enrollment Rate

Proportion successfully enrolled out of all who were interested and eligible

84%
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Retention Rate

Proportion who remained enrolled in the study at 24 weeks

These results were demonstrated in a population with...

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High Member Satisfaction at 24 Weeks

  • Over 81% said Wellinks helped them better manage their COPD
  • Over 92% found Wellinks to be valuable
  • Over 83% said Wellinks helped them learn more about their COPD
+64
Net Promoter Score*
* Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer loyalty and satisfaction measurement taken from asking customers how likely they are to recommend your product. NPS scores range from -100 to +100. This NPS is based on responses from those who continued contact with coaches, representative of the Wellinks clinical model.

Improved Clinical Outcomes at 24 Weeks

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Wellinks demonstrated sustained improvements in COPD self-efficacy as measured by the COPD Self-efficacy Scale (CSES) at 24 weeks.
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Self-efficacy is a measure of how confident an individual is in managing their COPD and addressing shortness of breath.
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One-third of participants demonstrated improvements in Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score. mMRC is a measure of breathlessness that is associated with risk of future exacerbations.

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