Season Health, a food-as-medicine platform, has secured a $7 million investment, which the company will use to further grow its operations, it announced last week.
Austin, Texas-based Season Health offers personalized food recipes, pre-made meals, grocery support, nutrition education and one-on-one meetings with a dietitian. It recently expanded its provider network from dozens of dietitians to hundreds through a strategic asset acquisition from Wellory, a virtual nutrition support company.
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The $7 million investment comes from Inception Health — the innovation arm of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) health network — and Ziegler Link-age Fund, along with some other investors. In total Season Health has raised $45 million.
Season Health plans to use these funds to “develop and scale our food-as-medicine programs,” said Josh Hix, co-founder and CEO of Season Health, in an email. This includes programs for diabetes and high-risk pregnancy. In addition, the company will be expanding its partnerships with providers and payers.
Froedtert and MCW is a health system in eastern Wisconsin that consists of 10 hospitals, more than 45 health centers and more than 2,300 physicians. Froedtert and MCW and Inception Health chose to invest in Season Health because it believes the company “has built a comprehensive Food-as-Medicine Platform that will support patients’ journeys to healthier eating habits and ultimately improved health outcomes,” said Mike Maschek, director at Inception Health, in a statement.
In early 2024, Season Health will also be launching two programs with the Froedtert and MCW health system. These programs will give members of Froedtert’s employee population in-network access to Season’s registered dietitian practice, and those with diabetes will receive a value-based care program focused on improving clinical outcomes and reducing the cost of care, Hix said.
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Ziegler Link-age Fund, meanwhile, is an investor in technology and service companies, with a focus on improving care for seniors. It chose to invest in Season Health because of the opportunities the company presents for seniors.
“Ziegler Link-age Fund is eager to help Season grow within its existing channels, but also establish routes into new populations, particularly older adults who frequently face multiple chronic diseases, transportation difficulties, financial constraints, and other barriers to good nutrition,” stated Katie Schmitz, manager of Ziegler Link-age Fund, in a news release.
Several other companies are in the food-as-medicine space as well, including NourishedRx, which provides medically-tailored meals, grocery support and diet education. FarmboxRx is another company focused on nutrition and food insecurity and delivers produce boxes, cooking kits and pantry items.
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