Endo Health, a digital healthcare startup based in Silicon Valley, has secured pre-seed investments from US VC Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and prominent angel investor Anne Wojcicki, CEO of 23andMe. Including its first investment from Krew Capital in February this year, the cumulative investment exceeds 1.3 billion KRW.

Endo Health is developing AI-based personalized digital healthcare services for diabetes patients and those at risk of developing diabetes. They utilize Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) to collect real-time blood glucose and activity data, aimed at aiding in chronic condition management. They have incorporated gamification strategies to motivate lifestyle improvements, a key insight from this year’s alpha testing phase.

Amidst a global increase in chronic disease patients, the digital diabetes management market, estimated at 17 trillion KRW by Grand View Research, underscores the significance of effective disease monitoring and management. Diabetes, with its high prevalence and potential complications, highlights the critical role of lifestyle management, an area where many patients face challenges.

With this investment, Endo Health plans to enhance its services and officially launch in the third quarter of this year. Additionally, leveraging a16z’s seed investment, they intend to participate in ‘Speedrun’, an acceleration program organized by a16z aimed at entering global markets starting with the US. Speedrun involves mentorship from leaders in the gaming industry such as Discord, Twitch, Zynga, and Supercell.

Anne Wojcicki, who participated as an angel investor in this round through 23andMe, remarked, “I hold Endo Health’s team and vision in high regard,” expressing confidence that their innovative approach could address the challenges of chronic disease management, an area where traditional strategies often fall short.

CEO Yoon Hee-sang stated, “Starting with diabetes, affecting 10% of the population, we aim to revolutionize chronic disease management,” emphasizing their vision to build a global digital healthcare startup that extends human lifespan by one year, supported by investments from a16z, Krew Capital, and Anne Wojcicki.

Endo Health is founded by a team of co-founders with diverse backgrounds including medicine, AI, and gaming. CEO Yoon Hee-sang, a graduate of Yonsei University School of Medicine, previously served as an AI product leader at ThingsFlow, a subsidiary of Krafton, for three years. Co-founder Ryu Il-han also hails from ThingsFlow and has led various AI-based technical teams, while co-founder Park Chan-woo, a PhD candidate in computer science from MIT, has authored over ten AI-related papers.