Tullman's diabetes startup Livongo picks up $20M from Kleiner, DFJ

By Jonah Comstock
09:42 am
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Livongo Health's device for monitoring blood glucose.

Livongo Health, the diabetes management company launched last fall by former Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman, has raised $20 million in second-round funding. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and DFJ Venture contributed to the round, as did previous investor General Catalyst Partners.

"With thousands of people now using Livongo for Diabetes, it's clear that the best way for people to manage chronic diseases like diabetes is to empower them with real-time, personalized information about their condition," Tullman said in a statement. "This information improves care, reduces costs, and enables people to focus on their lives and not their diseases."

The company will use the funding to accelerate deployment of its Livongo for Diabetes program for self-insured employers. The platform consists of connected devices, a smart cloud, and a virtual care team. The device, called In Touch, serves as both a connected glucometer and a pedometer and will allow easy sharing of the data. It’s a standalone device with a color touchscreen that is cellular connected. The program also offers unlimited test strips at no extra charge.

Since September, Livongo has been deployed with self-insured employers Office Depot and information management company Iron Mountain and large healthcare systems including Mission Health System and HealthCare Partners. The company is also working with a number of payers and has an agreement underway to integrate the platform with Cerner's electronic health record.

"The Livongo platform is a powerful disease management ecosystem," Dr. Beth Seidenberg, General Partner at KPCB, said in a statement. "Its ability to collect real-time biometric data, analyze it in the cloud and instantly push down guidance and support to the user is unique in diabetes management. Livongo Health is an important company in digital health that is poised to have a significant impact by taking on the diabetes epidemic and other chronic conditions."

Seidenberg and Emily Melton, a partner at DFJ, will be joining Livongo's board.

Livongo's device was developed by EosHealth, a company that Tullman had invested in through his 7wire Ventures fund that pivoted and relaunched as Livongo when Tullman joined as its CEO.

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