Function Health, a membership-based platform that gives consumers access to more than 100 lab tests, announced Tuesday the close of a large funding round that included about a dozen prominent investors.
The startup closed its Series A funding round, bringing its total raised to date to $53 million. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and included participation from a number of other investors, including actors Matt Damon, Kevin Hart, Zac Efron, and Pedro Pascal, as well as athletes Blake Griffin, Colin Kaepernick, and Joel Embiid.
Austin-based Function has been running in beta since April of last year and has since amassed nearly 50,000 paid subscribers and a waiting list of more than 200,000.
“Function is about functioning bodies, functioning mental health, and a functioning health system: taking people from dysfunction to function,” says CEO Jonathan Swerdlin. “Function represents what health care should truly be – created in everyday life, not just in the doctor’s office. Joining Function is about knowing what’s actually going on in your body, taking action, and tracking it over time to ensure lifelong health.”
Swerdlin added that for decades, the U.S. health care system has “prioritized outdated processes and profits,” with people primarily seeking medical care only for routine checkups or when they are in extreme discomfort. This approach to health, combined with the country’s corrupt food system, has led to worsening health disparities and a surge in chronic disease, he asserted.
Function helps solve this problem by removing the barriers to widespread lab testing, Swerlin said.
“This shift from reactive to proactive is transformative and reflects a growing demand for health rather than medical care,” he said.
A yearly membership to Function’s platform costs $499, which gives members access to more than 100 lab tests, including autoimmune, cardiac, hormonal, thyroid and metabolic.
Once testing is complete, members can access their results through a personalized Function dashboard, which is then reviewed individually by a licensed clinician, Swerlin explained. This allows users to track their test results and health progression over time, he added.
Swerlin described the startup’s target customers as “people aged 18 and over who want to manage or optimize their health.”
While consumer-focused diagnostics are becoming increasingly common (think startups like Viome, LetsGetChecked and Ash Wellness), Swerlin claims Function is the first platform of its kind.
“This includes access to over 100 lab tests that measure numerous important biomarkers throughout the human body. No other company offers such a wide range of tests, and at such an affordable price. Function prioritizes transparent pricing with a single cost, which can add up to $15,000 elsewhere,” he declared.
Photo: Function Health
