Anyone who has experienced a health crisis, either personally or within their family, understands the overwhelming challenges—and frankly, the unacceptable hurdles—of navigating the American healthcare system. That’s why we are thrilled to welcome our newest portfolio addition, Solace Health, the healthtech company reimagining the American healthcare journey from start to finish.   

When we met Co-Founders Jeremy Gurewitz and Sara Sargent, we immediately knew we wanted to be part of what they were building. They shared a vision for a future where patients won't have to navigate their healthcare journeys alone. Instead, Solace matches patients with qualified healthcare advocates who are covered by Medicare to help manage their conditions and handle the necessary coordination behind the scenes—so patients can focus on what matters most: getting better. We believe everyone should have a licensed advocate when fighting for our most valuable asset—our health.

As a patient in the US healthcare system, it’s easy to feel like a cog in a giant machine. For patients, every appointment, test result, or diagnosis can be life-changing, setting you on a path that forever alters your reality. But to the system—for the providers and the payers—you often seem inconsequential, just another person who received bad news. Solace exists to bridge this gap and be the place people turn to in the most uncertain times of their lives. 

To paint the picture further: Earlier this year, a close friend of our firm was diagnosed with cancer. He was a healthy, 31-year-old man with no family history or pre-existing conditions. A blood test revealed some abnormalities, which led him down a series of rabbit holes that reaffirmed the dark truth of the US healthcare system—it sucks.

He tried to schedule an MRI and was told that he had to wait two months. After aggressively advocating for himself and securing an appointment within two weeks, he discovered just hours before arriving at the facility that Aetna had denied his coverage. When he finally resolved the issues with Aetna and completed his MRI, his doctor ordered a PET scan, only to face another denial and ongoing back-and-forth with the insurance company. Meanwhile, two of his doctors disagreed on the right course of action. This uncertainty and administrative overhang persisted until he was finally able to undergo surgery to remove the tumor. Thankfully, he is now healthy and cancer-free.

Our friend, however, isn’t the average American. He was in a position of immense privilege; he personally knew a Board Member of the hospital where he received treatment and had full insurance coverage, which limited his out-of-pocket spend. He is also well-educated and is experienced in managing complex situations. 

What excites us most about Solace is the opportunity to create a category that doesn’t exist in healthcare today. To put it in perspective, there are currently 66 million Americans covered by Medicare, roughly 34 million hospitalizations annually, and 129 million Americans living with one or more chronic illnesses. All of these people could benefit from a healthcare advocate, but few of them know that this even exists.

With Solace, we can imagine a world where the first reaction to a scary diagnosis, hospitalization, chronic condition, or insurance dispute is, "Let’s get you in touch with your Solace advocate."

Since its launch in 2023, Solace has grown to serve thousands of patients almost entirely through word of month. Inspired is proud to lead Solace's $14M Series A round to support them on their journey to become a fundamental pillar of the US healthcare system. 

Solace is expanding its team and looking for people who are passionate about this extremely powerful mission. Learn more here!