This week healthcare startup Symbiosis Health became the newest tenant in Chicago’s River North startup space at Catapult. The company is set to launch a new platform that will help patients with high deductible healthcare plans find and book appointments as easily as buying a plane ticket online.
Symbiosis Health is giving employers the chance to provide a simple and straightforward platform that employees can use to find the healthcare they need, when they need it. Patients can simply choose what is ailing them, find the appropriate healthcare providers in their area, then book and pay for an appointment directly within the service. No need to waste time calling around to providers in your area or worry about finding the most affordable price available for your treatment. The startup was founded by Sharad Jain and Piyush Kedia, who ran a healthcare billing company for seven years before creating Symbiosis Health. Kedia found that patients with high deductible healthcare plans often delayed care because of the cost and uncertainty of healthcare options available to them. With Symbiosis Health the team is hoping to make booking an appointment as simple as possible by giving the customer the right information to help them make an informed healthcare decision. “This was a problem that we saw with my business and that’s what we set out to solve,” said Kedia. “The whole idea behind this is creating an environment where patients can become consumers.” Symbiosis Health went through the Blueprint Health accelerator in New York City over the summer, and became interested in moving into Catapult after fellow Blueprint alumni Procured Health made their home in the River North coworking space. Kedia said the team was drawn to Catapult because of its strong and open community of entrepreneurs. “Innovation cannot exist within a vacuum, you need interaction,” said Kedia. “The whole community: the ping pong table, the open doors, the environment was very welcome… This is a time when you’re experimenting with new ideas. You want intelligent people around you.” According to Kedia, Symbiosis Health is currently in the middle of raising a seed round with “some really strong investors.” The Chicago company plans to launch the platform in January with 15,000 users onboard from the start. “Our goal is to bring the best value to our customers on day one,” Kedia said. Visit SymbiosisHealth.com to learn more about Catapult’s newest resident leading up to its launch early next year.
