Culina Health nabs $7.9M to provide virtual access to registered dietitians

As a dietitian, Vanessa Rissetto’s main goal is to help people stay healthy.

She also knew that there were some roadblocks to achieving that. For example, the Black community deals with pressing health concerns, in addition to a disproportionate lack of access to care. More than 80% of registered dietitians in the U.S. are white, she said.

“As a Black woman, I wanted to bring more diversity to the industry to expand access to more Americans in need of nutrition care,” she told TechCrunch. 

The result was her company Culina Health, which she co-founded with fellow dietitian Tamar Samuels in 2020. Today, the company announces a $7.9 million Series A, led by Healthworx, the CVC of the insurance company CareFirst.

Culina Health connects patients and healthcare providers to a network of registered dietitians who can provide virtual care in areas such as chronic disease prevention, wellness, and weight loss.

“Nutrition is vital to longevity and overall health, and it can be very sensitive for many individuals,” Rissetto said. “We come to every patient with personalized solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.” 

Culina Health, which already works with insurance companies and Medicare, says at least 70% of the U.S. can currently access its platform. It also says it has served more than 10,000 patients with its Culina Health Method, a methodology used to provide personalized care to patients. 

Others in the space include Nourish, Foodsmart, and Berry Street.

“We are attacking the issue as a brand-new challenge, requiring a comprehensive and clinically rigorous approach,” Rissetto said, adding she doesn’t feel many others are doing the same. “We also stand out through our non-judgemental and culturally-affirming care. Individuals seeking nutrition care should be met where they are—not expected to fit a mold.” 

Rissetto called the fundraising journey exhilarating, exhausting, and validating. Culina Health met its lead investors through word of mouth and eventually inbound requests. 

“Culina’s mission was clear and stood out to investors as something unique in the industry and worth the investment,” she said. 

Other investors in the company include Collab Capital, Cake Ventures, and GW Ventures.

The fresh capital will be used to expand and enhance Culina Health’s nutrition counseling. “We will implement new AI platforms to improve care efficiency, lighten our physicians’ burden, and strengthen our leadership team with new key hires,” Rissetto continued. 

“With this new funding, the sky is the limit in providing the best possible care for our patients.”