Andreessen Horowitz-backed knownwell, a hybrid weight-inclusive primary and metabolic-care provider, announced it has acquired AI-enabled precision metabolic-health management company Alfie Health to enhance its clinical decision-support offerings. 

Boston-based knownwell promotes itself as a weight-inclusive provider that offers primary care and metabolic-health services, offered in-person or virtually. The company has brick-and-mortar locations in Texas and New England, and will open an office in Minnesota later this year. 

Alfie offers an AI-enabled platform dubbed ObesityRx. It analyzes medical histories to determine what treatments will most effectively improve an individual's metabolic health.

The New York-based company said on its website, "As part of the acquisition, standalone access to Alfie's platform and Alfie-affiliated clinics were shut down."  

Through the acquisition, Alfie's ObesityRx platform will be integrated into knownwell's care model, which knownwell says will deepen its value-based care infrastructure and enhance its clinical decision support.  

knownwell also announced the appointment of James Chaukos as its first chief operating officer and John Frager as its chief growth officer.

Chaukos formerly served as cofounder, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer of Cricket Health, now Interwell Health. Frager previously worked for Carbon Health. 

"This acquisition by knownwell helps us deliver on our mission to provide patients in need with best-in-class obesity management,” Alexander Singh, founder and CEO of Alfie Health, said in a statement. "knownwell’s leadership, clinical expertise, and hybrid model make them a leader in obesity management, and their hybrid model will strengthen our high-touch care approach to improve patient results."

THE LARGER TREND

knownwell launched in January of last year with $4.5 million in seed funding, led by Flare Capital Partners. It secured $20 million in Series A funding in December.

Last year, Alfie raised $2.1 million for its weight loss platform.

Another company focused on weight management is Lumen, maker of a handheld metabolism measurement device. The company secured $62 million in Series B funding in 2022.