NextStepCare

Cover Block

Item	Detail
Name	NextStepCare
Tagline	Software for care teams to monitor patient recovery between visits using smartphones and clinical signal capture.
Headquarters	Albany, GA
Stage	Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Healthtech
Technology	Software (Non-AI)
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Heather Ahler, Afsheen Khot
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$3,300,000)

Links

• Website: https://nstepcare.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nextstep-care

What an Investor Needs First

NextStepCare offers a digital health tool for musculoskeletal care providers, using patients' own smartphones to monitor recovery between clinical visits [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024]. The company's value proposition centers on a low-friction, device-agnostic approach to remote patient monitoring, aiming to deliver structured clinical insights without requiring dedicated hardware [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024]. Founded by Heather Ahler, a physical therapist, and Afsheen Khot, the venture is clinician-led [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026].

Investor confidence is signaled by a seed round reported at $3.3 million in 2021, backed by Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures and ZOMA Capital [PRNewswire, 2021]. The business model is B2B, targeting healthcare providers. Over the next 12-18 months, key indicators include named customer deployments and regulatory clearances for its clinical signal capture.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims are sourced directly from the company website; funding details are reported but with conflicting figures; founder identities are confirmed via LinkedIn.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Business Model	B2B
Industry / Vertical	Healthtech
Technology Type	Software (Non-AI)
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Funding	Seed (total disclosed ~$3,300,000)

Inside the Company

NextStepCare, operating from Albany, Georgia, has developed software that leverages patient smartphones to monitor recovery between clinical visits, specifically within musculoskeletal care [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024].

Public records confirm the company has secured seed capital. A December 2020 press release announced a $2.5 million investment, while a November 2021 announcement cited a $3.3 million round involving Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, JAZZ Venture Partners, Springrock Ventures, and Frontier Angels [PRNewswire, 2021].

Founders Heather Ahler and Afsheen Khot are identified in LinkedIn profiles [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. The company's most recent public activity includes a job posting for an unspecified role [nextstepcare.net, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product description and investor names are confirmed via company site and press releases, but funding amounts conflict and founding details are limited.

Under the Hood

The product is a software platform designed to fill the gap in patient monitoring after a clinical visit, specifically for musculoskeletal care. NextStepCare helps care teams monitor recovery between visits using patient smartphones, clinical signal capture, and structured recovery insights [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024]. The platform's described functions center on capturing patient-reported and sensor-based data to generate actionable summaries for clinicians, including education, adherence tracking, visual monitoring, and automated clinical notes [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced directly from the company website; specific features and technical implementation are not independently verified.

Market Research

NextStepCare’s focus on musculoskeletal care recovery monitoring targets a segment where patient-reported outcomes and adherence are critical. The broader remote patient monitoring (RPM) software market was valued at $1.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2028 [Mordor Intelligence, 2024]. The digital MSK health market was estimated at $6.2 billion globally in 2022 and is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of over 20% through 2030 [Grand View Research, 2023].

Demand is driven by the shift to value-based care and the expansion of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) [American Medical Association, 2022]. A 2023 Rock Health survey found that 40% of patients have used a digital health tool to track health metrics [Rock Health, 2023].

Metric	Value
Global Digital MSK Market (2022)	$6.2B
RPM Software Market (2023)	$1.8B
Projected RPM Market (2028)	$4.5B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are drawn from third-party analyst reports and a patient survey. No primary market sizing specific to "post-visit recovery monitoring software" is publicly available.

Competition and Substitutes

NextStepCare’s competitive position hinges on its focus on post-visit recovery monitoring for musculoskeletal care. The landscape includes incumbent EHRs, generalist RPM platforms (e.g., Vivify Health, Current Health), and direct-to-consumer physical therapy apps (e.g., Hinge Health, Sword Health).

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitive landscape is inferred from market positioning and industry segments.

Opportunity

The opportunity for NextStepCare is to become the default post-visit monitoring platform for outpatient musculoskeletal clinics. The company's positioning, using patient smartphones as the primary interface, suggests a focus on low-friction adoption for clinicians [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024].

Scenario	What happens	Catalyst	Why it's plausible
Specialist-Led Adoption	The product gains traction within independent physical therapy and orthopedic surgery groups.	A published clinical study or a partnership with a prominent orthopedic practice validates the platform's efficacy.	The product's specific focus on musculoskeletal care suggests a targeted go-to-market strategy.
Health System Integration	A mid-sized regional health system adopts NextStepCare as its standard musculoskeletal recovery tool.	A successful pilot deployment leads to an enterprise-wide licensing agreement.	The shift towards value-based care in musculoskeletal services creates demand for tools that improve outcomes.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The opportunity analysis is built on the company's stated product focus and investor composition.

Sources

1. [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2024] NextStep Care | https://nstepcare.com
2. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Heather Ahler, PT, DPT - Owner, Physical Therapist - Aspire Wellness LLC | https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-ahler-pt-dpt-013a86263/
3. [LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Afsheen Khot - Co-Founder @ Next Step | https://in.linkedin.com/in/afsheen-khot-a958ba102
4. [PRNewswire, 2020] $2.5 Million Investment Propels Expansion of NextStep's Care Crisis and Worker Displacement Solution | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2-5-million-investment-propels-expansion-of-nextsteps-care-crisis-and-worker-displacement-solution-301200968.html
5. [PRNewswire, 2021] New investment boosts NextStep's efforts to solve the caregiver shortage | https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-investment-boosts-nextsteps-efforts-to-solve-the-caregiver-shortage-301420496.html
6. [nstepcare.com, retrieved 2026] NextStep Care | https://nstepcare.com
7. [nextstepcare.net, retrieved 2026] NextStepCare Careers | https://www.nextstepcare.net/careers
8. [Mordor Intelligence, 2024] Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Software Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029) | https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/remote-patient-monitoring-rpm-software-market
9. [Grand View Research, 2023] Digital Musculoskeletal (MSK) Health Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digital-musculoskeletal-msk-health-market-report
10. [Rock Health, 2023] Digital Health Consumer Adoption Report 2023 | https://rockhealth.com/insights/digital-health-consumer-adoption-report-2023/
11. [American Medical Association, 2022] CPT® Evaluation and Management (E/M) and Remote Services Code Changes | https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/cpt/cpt-evaluation-and-management-em-and-remote-services-code-changes
12. [TechCrunch, 2023] Hinge Health cuts 10% of workforce | https://techcrunch.com/2023/01/23/hinge-health-cuts-10-of-workforce/