In this edition of Localogy’s Local Radar, we examine newly funded companies Safara and healthcare solutions Carecode & Culina Health
1. Safara
Like a lot of brick-and-mortar business categories, hotels are divided between massive brands and smaller independent entities. And with that delineation comes dividing lines in capabilities. For example, large international hotel chains have IT departments and customized software to run their operations, such as booking systems. These are generally modified versions of large enterprise software packages from the likes of Oracle or SAP. In fact, the prevailing model for hotel chains these days is to provide these systems – along with a trusted brand and a few other resources – while the local operator does the rest. So where does that leave smaller independent hotels? They’re on their own to develop software to manage daily operations and bookings, leaving many to turn to platforms like Travelocity and HotelTonight and give up revenue in the process. Safara is looking to fill that gap with a software package for independent hotels. It includes everything that the big guys enjoy, such as booking, rewards systems, and other advanced functions. The company recently raised capital from Sequoia and others, which it will use to expand its team, platform, and sales efforts. The size of the round was undisclosed, but Safara has raised $14 million to date.
2. Carecode
AI continues its march into various functions and verticals. And it will continue to be a feeling-out process for where it takes root. There will be valuable integrations somewhere between zero and the unfettered blitz the technology is currently seeing. In local commerce, we’ve theorized that the best integrations will be those that offer tangible benefits to small operators. Cutting through the hype and tech-for-tech’s-sake, that means things that save them time and headaches. One such approach that crossed our desks recently is AI in healthcare. Healthcare functions are broad of course but we’re talking here about administrative work for doctors, dentists, etc. The promise of automating and cutting down paperwork and functions like appointment scheduling is appealing to administrators. That’s where Carecode comes in. The company raised a $4.3 million pre-seed round led by A16z to realize this vision. One of its key functions for example is automating appointment management systems and handling inbound patient calls to do things like change appointments. It realizes that some nuance and human intervention are required in complex cases, but its goal is to automate the larger portion of cases that require rote tasks. That will be a welcome proposition to resource-constrained SMBs.
3. Culina Health
Sticking with healthcare, one branch of the field – though not as formal as MDs – is dietitians. And like all branches of healthcare, it’s perpetually behind the curve when it comes to tech adoption and digital transformation. Culina Health wants to change that with a platform for connecting dietitians and customers. Specifically, the quasi-marketplace model connects patients and healthcare providers to a network of registered dietitians. This works through a series of profiles and tags that help make sense of provider specialties and better connect supply and demand. These areas of specialty include things like chronic disease prevention, wellness, and weight loss. And importantly, Culina works with insurance companies and Medicare, meaning patient reimbursement stands as an adoption accelerant. Culina Health recently raised a $7.9 million series A round. It will use the funding to grow its team and build out its platform with more automation and AI.
Header image credit: Jessica Lewis 🦋 thepaintedsquare on Unsplash
