As a trauma surgeon, Dr. Tom Kelly constantly witnessed physicians overwhelmed by paperwork. Wanting to make a difference, he decided to create a solution.
“Our goal was to develop an AI assistant that could support clinicians by handling administrative tasks, allowing providers like myself to focus on the patient care we are passionate about,” he shared with TechCrunch.
Dr. Kelly joined forces with Waleed Mussa, a former colleague from a previous startup, and together they launched Heidi Health in 2021. Their first products hit the market in early 2024.
According to Dr. Kelly, in just a year and a half, the company has given back over “18 million hours to frontline medical professionals, covering more than 70 million patient appointments across 116 nations.”
The flagship offering is an AI-powered medical scribe designed to eliminate the administrative burdens faced by doctors. It can transcribe and dictate notes, create tailored patient summaries, and manage tasks—making sticky notes obsolete for physicians.
Heidi has developed its own AI model while also leveraging platforms like Gemini. “By not being tied to a single model, we’re able to fine-tune for accuracy, speed, and cost,” Dr. Kelly explained.
On Monday, the company revealed a $65 million Series B funding round led by Steve Cohen’s Point72, along with a new AI tool that can call patients on behalf of doctors. Dr. Simon Kos, Microsoft’s former Chief Medical Officer, and Paul Williamson, Plaid’s revenue chief, are also joining the team.
To date, the company has secured $96.6 million in funding. Other investors in this round include Goodwater Capital, Headline, Blackbird VC, LG Technology Ventures, and Alumni Ventures.
“Point72 had seen other scribe solutions before,” Dr. Kelly noted. “But they hadn’t encountered the kind of user adoption and engagement that Heidi achieved. They also appreciated our dedication to user experience, especially since many competitors focus solely on top-down sales.”
The new funding will be directed toward further product innovation.
Dr. Kelly envisions that expanding access to AI tools will enable clinicians to do more and eliminate the tedious aspects of their jobs.
He pointed out that most current healthcare discussions are centered on developed nations, “but think about a scenario where any provider worldwide could use Heidi to boost their clinical reach—whether they’re in conflict zones, refugee camps, areas affected by climate change, or underserved regions,” he added. “Heidi can help them care for more patients and achieve better health outcomes.”
AI is rapidly changing the landscape of health technology. Other notable players in the AI medical scribe field include DeepScribe, Ambiance Healthcare, and Abridge.
Heidi reports that it serves over 2 million clinicians weekly, from large hospitals to solo practices. The company offers a free version with premium features, which Dr. Kelly believes has been effective in attracting new users.
He stated that AI is set to revolutionize healthcare, but ultimately, human connection remains vital, especially in building and maintaining trust.
“The real potential of AI is to double the world’s healthcare capacity,” he said. “That’s what we’re striving to achieve.”