Citizen Health Secures $30 Million to Build AI Advocates for Patients
Citizen Health, a platform focused on improving care for rare diseases, announced a $30 million Series A funding round. Led by 8VC with participation from Transformation Capital and Headline, the latest investment brings the company’s total funding to $44 million since its launch in December 2023.
Founded by Farid Vij (CEO), Nasha Fitter (Chief Business Officer), and experienced healthcare professionals, Citizen Health is creating tools to empower patients with rare and complex conditions. Their platform integrates AI, community support, and longitudinal health data to help patients better understand medical records, track symptoms, manage appointments, and connect with appropriate next steps in their care.
AI Advocates: Personal Guidance for Patients
"Patients today expect clarity and personalization in healthcare, similar to what they experience in other parts of life," said Farid Vij. "Citizen Health is building a personalized AI Advocate for every patient. This Advocate helps patients interpret their health journey and guides them toward actionable next steps."
With nearly half of American adults managing at least one chronic illness, tools that support self-advocacy are increasingly important. Citizen Health's vision is to transform fragmented healthcare into a connected, proactive experience by deploying AI that identifies opportunities to improve health—even those patients might not anticipate.
Strong Support from Investors and Industry Leaders
Sebastian Caliri, Partner at 8VC, emphasized the company's impact: "Citizen's AI Advocate is already helping thousands make informed medical decisions and accelerate new treatments."
Founders Vij and Fitter bring previous experience from their earlier company, Citizen, acquired by Invitae in 2021. Their new venture combines deep expertise in AI, healthcare, privacy, and consumer technology, driven by personal commitment to rare disease advocacy.
Mathias Schilling, Founding Partner at Headline, noted, "Citizen Health offers a unique platform that supports patients and advocacy groups while providing valuable data for drug discovery and trials."
Progress and Partnerships
- Built more than 60 active communities covering 123 rare and complex conditions
- Partnered with 70+ patient advocacy groups, with 70% joining organically
- 98.3% of patients consent to share data for research, showing high trust
- Platform data accepted by the FDA for regulatory submissions
- Collaborations underway with over 10 pharmaceutical companies
Rare diseases affect over 400 million people worldwide, with 95% lacking approved treatments. Citizen Health’s platform addresses recent FDA calls for innovation and supports new patient groups emerging from wider access to genetic testing.
Looking Ahead
The first version of the AI Advocate will launch to select communities in Q3 2025, accompanied by a new product for patient advocacy groups. Citizen Health is focused on expanding its team of AI engineers, product developers, and designers, while strengthening partnerships across pharma, policy, and patient organizations.
About Citizen Health
Citizen Health is building tools that combine AI, community insights, and longitudinal data to empower patients managing rare diseases. The company is based in San Francisco and backed by investors including 8VC, Headline, Transformation Capital, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
For more information, visit citizen.health.
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