Wellinks, the company behind a digital platform and connected devices for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, raised $25 million in Series C funding. 

The round was led by Morningside Ventures with participation from HighCape Capital, Connecticut Innovations, Benslie Ltd. and Stonehenge Capital.

The Series C builds on a $14 million Series B raise from 2019.

WHAT IT DOES

Wellinks, formerly Convexity Scientific, offers a platform to track COPD treatments, symptoms and vitals, coaching and pulmonary rehab, and connected devices like nebulizers and pulse oximeters.

"COPD is one of the costliest, most common chronic conditions in the U.S., but it hasn't yet received the same level of innovation and investment as other chronic conditions have," CEO Alex Waldron said in a statement.

"At Wellinks, we are combining evidence-based care and technology into a virtual-first solution that prioritizes the individual experience, meets the patient where they are, and empowers them to take control of their COPD."

WHAT IT’S FOR

The company plans to use the new investment to add partnerships with payers and healthcare providers, hire more staffers and invest in clinical studies researching its platform’s effectiveness.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

In 2018, 16.4 million people reported a diagnosis of any type of COPD, including chronic bronchitis, emphysema or COPD, according to data compiled by the American Lung Association.

Other digital health companies tackling COPD include Kaia Health, which also focuses on the musculoskeletal care space, and raised $75 million in Series C funding in April, and Blue Marble Health, which last year partnered with the COPD Foundation to build a virtual pulmonary rehab program.

Digital respiratory care company Propeller Health received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in May 2020 for its sensor and app designed to be used with AstraZeneca's Symbicort inhaler for asthma and COPD. Teva Pharmaceuticals also launched a connected inhaler for the same patient population in July last year.