Ex-Uber Team Raises $10 Million to Build AI-Powered Hospital-at-Home Tech

An ex-Uber team, led by CEO Adam Stansell and cofounder Connor Hailey, has successfully raised $10 million in Series A funding for their healthcare technology company, Axle Health. The financing round was led by F-Prime Capital, with additional contributions from Y Combinator, Pear VC, and Lightbank. The company’s mission is to facilitate the transition of hospital care into the home by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address critical challenges in logistics, scheduling, and patient engagement. Stansell, who previously played a crucial role in launching Uber Eats in the northeastern United States and later joined logistics software company Motive, recognized a significant gap in the home health market. In 2020, as hospitals grappled with the surge in demand for at-home care due to the pandemic, Stansell and his team identified an opportunity to apply the gig economy’s technological solutions to healthcare. They envisioned a platform that could manage complex care operations efficiently, much like how Uber coordinates rideshare services. Axle Health's core offering is an advanced AI-driven logistics engine. This system can optimize the delivery of home healthcare by considering various factors such as clinical eligibility, patient preferences, clinician licenses, and cost. By doing so, it enables seamless coordination of care, which is essential for delivering high-quality services in a home setting. The company has already attracted a diverse range of clients, including large health systems, independent home health agencies, mobile phlebotomy providers, and high-acuity dispatch services. Initially, Axle Health aimed to be a full-service home health provider, using its proprietary technology to manage operations. After joining Y Combinator's Winter 2021 cohort, the company rapidly expanded to cover all 50 states and generated over a couple of million dollars in revenue. However, in 2023, Stansell and his team decided to pivot the company’s strategy. Instead of being a service provider, they focused on building and licensing their technology to other hospital-at-home services. This strategic shift was driven by the realization that their technology could have a broader impact by empowering multiple players within the home health ecosystem. As Stansell explained, "We realized it's better for us—and better for the industry—if instead of keeping the technology for ourselves, we built tools to empower every home health provider." The home health market is experiencing rapid growth, fueled by demographic changes like an aging population, clinician shortages, and increasing consumer preference for at-home care. Competitors are also making significant moves in this space. For instance, Sprinter Health recently secured a $55 million Series B investment to offer tech-enabled preventive care at home, while DispatchHealth and Medically Home merged in March to enhance their acute-care home health offerings. Axle Health differentiates itself by integrating seamlessly into the existing healthcare ecosystem and developing user-friendly technology for clinicians. Their AI-generated logistics plans are designed to be trusted by healthcare professionals, which is a critical aspect given the stringent requirements of clinical settings. The team's background at Uber, known for its expertise in logistics and real-time coordination, adds a unique advantage to Axle’s approach. Looking forward, Axle Health plans to enhance its patient engagement capabilities, including the introduction of AI-powered voice call features. These innovations will allow patients to interact more intuitively with the platform, improving their overall experience and adherence to treatment plans. Additionally, the company is working on expanding its integrations with electronic medical record systems and establishing closer collaborations with medical equipment suppliers and pharmacies. As the home health market continues to evolve, Axle Health’s focus on building a robust, interconnected ecosystem of providers and technologies positions it well to meet the growing demand for at-home care. According to Stansell, the future of home health care will not rely on a single provider but on a collaborative network of specialists, each equipped with the right tools to deliver high-quality, efficient care. Industry insiders commend Axle Health’s pivot and strategic focus on technology licensing, viewing it as a smart move to maximize impact and scale rapidly. The company’s strong financial growth, doubling its revenue in the past year, suggests that the market receptiveness to its solutions is high. Axle Health’s blend of tech expertise and deep understanding of healthcare logistics sets it apart from many of its competitors and hints at its potential to become a leading player in the evolving home health sector.