Nestled among corporate headquarters and a Blue Bottle coffee shop is what’s meant to be a moment of peace. It’s Tia’s nearly year-old flagship clinic in San Francisco, where the instruction to “Breathe in, Breathe out,” is etched on the tiles outside the entrance, serving as a mindfulness reminder for passersby.
Patients of the clinic, which bills itself as “the modern medical home for women,” walk under sweeping arches set against high ceilings and are greeted inside with dozens of plants and flowers from local florists. In the “living room” (rather than the waiting room), patients can choose among different flavors of the CBD or magnesium-infused sparkling water Recess. Or they can grab a book and blanket and choose a cushioned chair in the corner before being seen for gynecological, mental health, or primary care.
On Tuesday Tia is announcing a new investment from Melinda French Gates’s Pivotal Ventures, as it works to scale its mission of bringing holistic, preventive healthcare to women—a market that often doesn’t seek out primary care providers. The investment brings the company’s total funding to about $150 million. Tia declined to provide its private valuation following the investment.
“My vision is that every primary care provider starts delivering mental health as routine primary care and that every primary care provider clinic eventually looks and feels like Tia’s,” cofounder and CEO Carolyn Witte tells Fast Company.
Launched in 2017 by Witte and Felicity Yost, Tia operates on a membership model in which patients pay a monthly or yearly fee ($15 or $150, respectively) for access to virtual and in-person appointments at its clinics, online messaging and booking, and acupuncture services. Patients can use their health insurance, if accepted, to cover the costs of medical care.
The investment comes at a time when funding is drying up for female-founded and healthcare companies, as venture capitalists slow deployment of their funds due to broader macroeconomic concerns. In 2022, the percentage of VC dollars invested in female-founded companies dropped to 1.9% from 2.4% the year prior, according to PitchBook data.
Witte says Tia has had to cut back on its growth plans due to the environment. “It compels us to be that much more focused,” she adds. Still, Tia plans on adding more clinics across the U.S. and is rolling out group sessions focused on mental health April 1.
Erin Harkless Moore, Pivotal’s senior director of investments, said in a statement that despite women controlling the bulk of healthcare spend, the current system doesn’t address common needs. She added: “Tia has the potential to transform how our healthcare system values and serves women—redefining the standard of care.”
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