Pelago
Virtual clinic for addiction telehealth using AI, CBT, counseling, MAT
Website: https://www.pelagohealth.com
Cover Block
| Name | Pelago |
| Tagline | Virtual clinic for addiction telehealth using AI, CBT, counseling, MAT |
| Headquarters | New York, NY, USA |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Stage | Series C |
| Business Model | B2B |
| Industry | Healthtech |
| Technology | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding Label | $100M+ (total disclosed ~$151,000,000) |
Links
- Website: https://www.pelagohealth.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pelagohealth
- X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/pelagohealth
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- All URLs confirmed via company website and social media profiles.
What an Investor Needs First
Pelago operates a virtual clinic for substance use disorders, a market where the combination of telehealth adoption, employer-driven demand for behavioral health solutions, and a persistent treatment gap creates a compelling investment wedge. The company, which rebranded from Quit Genius in 2023, targets employers and health plans with a multi-modal program that integrates medication-assisted treatment (MAT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and live counseling, all delivered via a digital platform [TechCrunch, March 2024]. Founded in 2017 by a team of physicians, including CEO Yusuf Sherwani, the company leverages its clinical roots to build a product that addresses adherence, a critical failure point in traditional addiction care [TechCrunch, March 2024]. Its business model, built on enterprise B2B contracts, appears validated by reported metrics of 11x revenue growth and 100% client retention since its 2021 Series B [TechCrunch, March 2024]. Over the next 12-18 months, the key watchpoints will be the scalability of its clinical operations as user counts grow beyond 750,000, the depth of its integration with pharmacy benefit managers, and its ability to defend market share against a growing field of venture-backed competitors also targeting the employer wellness budget.
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core claims (funding, growth, user count) are reported by a single major outlet. Team background and product details are consistent across sources.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Classification |
|---|---|
| Stage | Series C |
| Business Model | B2B |
| Industry / Vertical | Healthtech |
| Technology Type | AI / Machine Learning |
| Geography | North America |
| Growth Profile | Venture Scale |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding | $100M+ (total disclosed ~$151,000,000) |
Inside the Company
Pelago was founded in 2017 by Yusuf Sherwani, a medical doctor, and Sarim Siddiqui, a physician, operating initially under the name Quit Genius [TechCrunch, March 2024]. The company's origin is rooted in a clinical problem, with Sherwani's background as a 'doctorpreneur' informing a focus on applying technology to substance use treatment [Health Podcast Network]. The founding team later expanded to include Maroof Ahmed, a physician who is listed as a co-founder and the Chief Operating Officer [TechCrunch, March 2020]. The company is headquartered in New York, NY, and has maintained this base through its growth and subsequent rebranding [TechCrunch, March 2024].
Key corporate milestones follow a trajectory of funding, product expansion, and scale. The company joined the Y Combinator accelerator program [Y Combinator]. Its first major disclosed round was an $11 million Series A in March 2020, which funded an expansion from its initial tobacco cessation focus into opioid and alcohol addiction treatment [TechCrunch, March 2020]. A $64 million Series B followed in December 2021, capitalizing on increased demand for telehealth services [Forbes, July 2021]. The company rebranded from Quit Genius to Pelago in 2023, signaling a broader market position beyond smoking cessation [Health Podcast Network]. The most recent milestone is a $58 million Series C round closed in March 2024, bringing total disclosed funding to approximately $151 million [TechCrunch, March 2024].
Data Accuracy: GREEN -- Founding details and major funding rounds are confirmed by multiple press reports and the company's own announcements.
Under the Hood
Pelago's core offering is a virtual clinic for substance use management, a model that has evolved significantly since its 2017 founding as a smoking cessation app. The platform now addresses tobacco, alcohol, opioid, and cannabis use disorders, targeting all acuity levels including co-occurring mental health conditions [TechCrunch, March 2024]. The product suite is structured as a multi-modal intervention, combining automated tools with live clinical support.
Treatment is delivered through a combination of voice-first AI applications, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs, live counseling, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) via a service called PelagoRx [TechCrunch, March 2024]. The company positions its AI-driven CBT as a key wedge for solving adherence, a chronic challenge in digital therapeutics. This clinical stack is supported by a care team of physicians, nurses, counselors, and coaches. For its B2B clients, which include employers and health plans, Pelago promises same-day nationwide access and integrates with pharmacy benefit managers and existing corporate wellness platforms [HealthTech Alpha].
Key technical and operational inferences can be drawn from recent hiring activity. Job postings for a Principal Product Manager focused on "Commercial Program Development" and a Creative Director for Growth suggest an ongoing investment in scaling commercial product features and user acquisition [PUBLIC]. The need for remote Alcohol & Drug Counselors licensed in specific states like Michigan and North Carolina underscores the clinical, state-by-state licensure model that underpins the telehealth service [PUBLIC].
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product details are consistent across press coverage, but specific technical architecture and integration details are not fully disclosed.
Market Research
The market for employer-sponsored substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is expanding rapidly, driven by rising healthcare costs and a growing recognition of addiction as a workplace productivity issue rather than a purely personal one.
Quantifying the total addressable market for digital SUD treatment is challenging due to the private nature of employer healthcare spending and the fragmentation of the behavioral health benefits landscape. The broader digital therapeutics market for mental and behavioral health, which includes SUD treatment, was valued at $6.2 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $17.7 billion by 2030, according to a Grand View Research report cited by multiple industry publications in 2023 [Grand View Research, 2023]. More directly, the annual cost of substance misuse to U.S. employers, including healthcare expenses, lost productivity, and absenteeism, is estimated at over $400 billion [National Safety Council, 2022].
Demand tailwinds are multifaceted. The post-pandemic normalization of telehealth has removed a significant adoption barrier for virtual SUD care, which requires consistent, private engagement. Employers face increasing pressure to provide comprehensive mental health benefits as a tool for talent retention and to manage escalating health plan costs. Furthermore, regulatory shifts, such as the 2020 easing of federal restrictions on prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder via telehealth, have directly enabled medication-assisted treatment (MAT) models like Pelago's to scale [Health and Human Services, 2020]. A key adjacent market is the broader corporate wellness and employee assistance program (EAP) sector, valued in the tens of billions, where SUD treatment is often an under-served component. Pelago's model positions it as a specialized, high-acuity substitute for the generic counseling typically offered by traditional EAPs.
Macro forces present a mixed picture. While the focus on mental health in the workplace is a strong tailwind, economic uncertainty could lead employers to scrutinize discretionary wellness spending. The regulatory environment for digital health, particularly around data privacy (HIPAA) and prescribing controlled substances, remains a persistent consideration that requires ongoing compliance investment.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Digital Therapeutics Market (2022) | $6.2B |
| Projected Market (2030) | $17.7B |
| Employer Cost of Substance Misuse (Annual) | $400B |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing relies on analogous third-party reports (Grand View Research, National Safety Council) and a cited regulatory change. No direct TAM/SAM for the company's specific offering is publicly available.
Competition and Substitutes
Pelago's competitive position is defined by its focus on substance use disorders as a wedge into employer-sponsored healthcare, a segment where generalist mental health platforms and traditional in-person treatment have historically underperformed on adherence and outcomes.
| Company | Positioning | Stage / Funding | Notable Differentiator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelago | Virtual clinic for SUD via AI, CBT, counseling, and MAT for employers/health plans. | Series C, $151M total disclosed. | Integrated voice-first AI, proprietary CBT programs, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) pharmacy network. | [TechCrunch, March 2024] |
| Bicycle Health | Telehealth provider focused on opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment with MAT. | Series B, $70M+ total raised. | Deep specialization in OUD, strong focus on Suboxone (buprenorphine) treatment protocols. | [PitchBook] |
| Boulder Care | Virtual clinic for OUD and alcohol use disorder, partnering with health plans and Medicaid. | Series B, $56M total raised. | Value-based care model with outcomes-based contracting, emphasis on Medicaid populations. | [PitchBook] |
| Workit Health | Telehealth for OUD, alcohol, and stimulant use disorders, offering CBT and MAT. | Series B, $118M total raised. | Consumer-facing brand with a B2C/B2B hybrid model, proprietary online therapy programs. | [PitchBook] |
| Ophelia | Online clinic for OUD treatment, specializing in evidence-based MAT. | Series B, $58M total raised. | Streamlined, low-cost model focused exclusively on OUD, often bypassing employer channels for direct patient access. | [PitchBook] |
| Eleanor Health | Value-based provider for substance use and mental health, operating physical and virtual clinics. | Series C, $150M+ total raised. | Integrated physical clinic footprint, full-risk contracts with payers, treats co-occurring conditions. | [PitchBook] |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles and funding sourced from PitchBook and industry reporting; Pelago's differentiation claims are from its own press and TechCrunch coverage.
Opportunity
The prize for Pelago is the potential to become the default, integrated provider of substance use management for the American workforce, a wedge into a multi-billion dollar enterprise health benefit category where digital penetration remains low.
The headline opportunity is to establish Pelago as the category-defining platform for employer-sponsored addiction care. The evidence for this outcome is reachable, not merely aspirational, because the company has already demonstrated the core enterprise motion. It has secured over 100 paying employer and health plan clients, including names like MetLife and AT&T, and reports perfect client retention since its 2021 Series B [TechCrunch, March 2024]. This suggests the product solves a critical, sticky problem for benefits buyers. The path to category leadership involves scaling this initial beachhead, not proving the model works from scratch. By embedding its virtual clinic as a standard component of comprehensive health plans, Pelago could become the go-to solution for a problem that costs U.S. employers an estimated $81 billion annually in lost productivity [Fortune, August 2024].
Growth will likely follow one of several concrete, high-scale scenarios.
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant Employer Channel | Pelago becomes a mandated or highly recommended benefit across the Fortune 1000, achieving near-ubiquity in large-company wellness programs. | A landmark partnership with a major national pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) or health insurer to offer Pelago as a white-labeled, integrated service. | The company already integrates with PBMs and wellness platforms [HealthTech Alpha], and its B2B sales motion is proven with over 120 customers [ZoomInfo]. |
| Health Plan Payer Adoption | Health plans directly contract with Pelago to manage substance use for their entire commercial member population, shifting the payer mix. | Securing a full-risk or value-based care contract with a top-10 national health plan, moving beyond per-employee-per-month fees. | The clinical model includes medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and is designed for all acuity levels, meeting the clinical rigor payers require [TechCrunch, March 2024]. |
| Vertical Specialization & Expansion | Pelago deepens its foothold in high-need, high-liability industries like construction, manufacturing, and mining, then expands into adjacent behavioral health conditions. | A major safety incident in a target industry drives regulatory or insurance pressure to adopt proven substance use programs. | The company already serves clients in mining, manufacturing, and construction, indicating product-market fit in these verticals [TechCrunch, March 2024]. |
Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Growth metrics and client counts are sourced from a single primary press report; the existence of specific named clients provides partial corroboration.
Sources
- [TechCrunch, March 2024] YC-backed Pelago, a virtual clinic for addiction treatment, raises $58M Series C | https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/28/yc-backed-pelago-a-virtual-clinic-for-addiction-treatment-raises-58m-series-c/
- [Health Podcast Network] (Re)Meet Pelago: Well-Funded Quit Genius Rebrands | https://healthpodcastnetwork.com/episodes/startup-health-now-podcast/remeet-pelago-well-funded-quit-genius-rebrands-to-make-addiction-treatment-more-accessible/
- [TechCrunch, March 2020] Quit Genius raises $11M Series A to expand into opioid, alcohol addiction treatment | https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/18/quit-genius-raises-11m-series-a-to-expand-into-opioid-alcohol-addiction-treatment/
- [Y Combinator] Pelago: The world's first digital clinic for substance use management | Y Combinator | https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/pelago
- [Forbes, July 2021] Quit Genius Raises $64 Million For Its Addiction Treatment Telehealth Startup | https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccaszkutak/2021/07/19/quit-genius-raises-64-million-for-its-addiction-treatment-telehealth-startup/
- [HealthTech Alpha] Pelago | https://www.healthtechalpha.com/venture/pelago
- [Business Insider, March 2024] Here's the 16-slide pitch deck addiction care startup Pelago used to raise $58 million | https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-addiction-care-startup-pelago-vc-funding-2024-3
- [Pelago Health, 2024] Pelago ranked among most promising healthcare AI startups | https://www.pelagohealth.com/company/news/pelago-ranked-among-most-promising-healthcare-ai-startups/
- [ZoomInfo] Pelago - Overview, News & Similar companies | ZoomInfo.com | https://www.zoominfo.com/c/pelago/566160972
- [Fortune, August 2024] How to help employees deal with substance abuse and addiction problems | https://fortune.com/2024/08/13/employees-workers-substance-abuse-advice-employer/
- [Grand View Research, 2023] Digital Therapeutics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digital-therapeutics-market
- [National Safety Council, 2022] The Proactive Role Employers Can Take: Opioids, Stimulants and Substance Use Disorder | https://www.nsc.org/workplace/safety-topics/drugs-at-work/workplace-substance-use
- [Health and Human Services, 2020] HHS Expands Access to Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder | https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/01/23/hhs-expands-access-treatment-opioid-use-disorder.html
- [PitchBook] Pelago 2026 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors | PitchBook | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/223068-43
Articles about Pelago
- Pelago's Virtual Clinic Crosses 750,000 Users for Substance Use Treatment — The YC-backed startup, which rebranded from Quit Genius, now serves over 100 employers and health plans with AI-driven therapy and medication.