We only take on 4 clients per month. Join our June cohort. 1 spot left.
Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — the show that explores GTM stories from tech’s most innovative B2B founders. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Itzik Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder of PayZen, a healthcare affordability platform that’s raised $240 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- Healthcare Affordability Focus: PayZen addresses the growing problem of healthcare affordability by offering solutions that help patients manage their out-of-pocket expenses and ensure healthcare providers get paid.
- Innovative Payment Solutions: The platform offers interest-free payment plans and pre-care access cards, simplifying the process for patients and providers, ensuring better financial health for both parties.
- Data-Driven Approach: PayZen’s solutions are heavily data-driven, focusing on automating processes like charity care and Medicaid eligibility to help patients get the financial assistance they need.
- Early Customer Strategy: Itzik emphasized the importance of starting with pilot programs and success-based revenue models to build trust and credibility with early customers in the healthcare space.
- Complex Industry Simplification: Despite the complexity of healthcare payments, PayZen’s technology integrates seamlessly with existing systems like Epic MyChart, making the process straightforward for users.
- Sustained Growth and Innovation: With a vision of becoming a trusted brand in healthcare payments, PayZen aims to expand its solution set, address more use cases, and maintain its innovative edge as it grows.
Actionable
Takeaways
Pilot Programs for Trust:
Start with pilot programs and success-based revenue models to build trust with initial customers, especially in complex industries like healthcare.
Integrate Seamlessly:
Focus on integrating your technology seamlessly with existing systems to reduce friction and improve user adoption.
Use Data to Drive Decisions:
Leverage data to identify and address key pain points, such as automating financial assistance processes to improve both patient and provider outcomes.
Discipline in Execution:
Maintain discipline and focus in both business operations and fundraising efforts to ensure sustainable growth and avoid unnecessary pitfalls.
Innovate Continuously:
Strive to maintain an innovative spirit within your company, avoiding bureaucratic stagnation as you scale and grow.
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Hala Borno
Founder and CEO of Trial Library
Hala Borno, Founder and CEO of Trial Library: $5M Raised to Improve Patient Recruitment and Diversity in Oncology Clinical Trials
Brett Kleger
CEO of Datacubed Health
Brett Kleger, CEO of Datacubed Health: $43 Million Raised to Revolutionize Clinical Trial Data Collection
Andreas Cleve
CEO and Co-Founder of Corti
Andreas Cleve, CEO and Co-Founder of Corti: $32 Million Raised to Power the Future of Patient Consultations
Kevin Flyangolts
CEO and Founder of Aclid
Kevin Flyangolts, CEO & Founder of Aclid: $4 Million Raised to Build the Future of Biosecurity
Aasim Saeed
CEO and Founder of Amenities Health
Aasim Saeed, CEO and Founder of Amenities Health: $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient Engagement
David King Lassman
Founder of GigXR
David King Lassman, Founder of GigXR: $7 Million Raised to Bring Immersive Learning to Healthcare
Alex Zekoff
CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI
Alex Zekoff, CEO and Co-Founder of Thoughtful AI: $21 Million Raised to Power the Future of Healthcare Automation
Derek Streat
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Dexcare
Derek Streat, CEO of Dexcare: $110 Million Raised to Help Health Systems to Find Time for the Best Care
Cesar Herrera
CEO and Co-Founder of Yuvo Health
Cesar Herrera, CEO and Co-Founder of Yuvo Health: $28 Million Raised to Revolutionize Healthcare Access
Alfred Griffin
CEO and Co-Founder of CEO and Co-Founder
Alfred Griffin, CEO and Co-Founder of LightForce: $150 Million Raised to Power the Future of Orthodontics
Michael Gorton
Founder of Teladoc
Teladoc Founder Michael Gorton on the Early Days of Pioneering the Telemedicine Category (And What’s He’s Up to Next)
Amy Brown
CEO and Founder of Authenticx
Amy Brown, CEO and Founder of Authenticx: $28 Million Raised to Build the Future of Listening AI
Dr Thomas Oakley
CEO of Feedback PLC
Dr Thomas Oakley, CEO of Feedback PLC: £20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Patient Data Sharing
Dr. Nan-Wei Gong
CEO and Founder of FIGUR8
Dr. Nan-Wei Gong, CEO & Founder of FIGUR8: $40 Million Raised to Build the Future of Musculoskeletal Health and Injury Data Solutions
Matt Renfro
Co-Founder & CEO of Lynx
Matt Renfro, CEO of Lynx: $17.5 Million raised to Bring Modern Fintech to Healthcare
Samson Magid
Co-Founder and CEO of HealthSnap
Samson Magid, Co-Founder and CEO of HealthSnap: Over $12 Million Raised to Build the Future of Remote Patient Monitoring
James Bates
CEO and Founder of AdviNOW Medical
James Bates, CEO and Founder of AdviNOW Medical: $24 Million Raised to Build the Future of AI-Powered Healthcare
Joshua Miller
CEO and Co-Founder of Gradient Health
Joshua Miller, CEO & Co-Founder of Gradient Health: $5.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Medical Imaging
Dimitrios Skaltsas
CEO & Co-Founder of Intelligencia AI
Dimitrios Skaltsas, CEO & Co-Founder of Intelligencia AI: $15.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Drug Development
Austin McChord
CEO of Casana
Austin McChord, CEO of Casana: Over $46 Million Raised to Create the Future of In-Home Health Monitoring
Rishi Nayyar
CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth
Rishi Nayyar, CEO and Co-Founder of PocketHealth: $22.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Medical Image Sharing
Richard Queen
CEO and Co-Founder of DignifiHealth
Richard Queen, CEO and Co-Founder of DignifiHealth: $7 Million Raised to Drive Better Patient Outcomes in Rural Healthcare and Beyond
Danny Freed
CEO & Founder of Blueprint
Danny Freed, CEO & Founder of Blueprint: $13.7 Million Raised to Build the Future of Therapist Enablement
Stacy Edgar
CEO and Co-Founder of Venteur
Stacy Edgar, CEO & Co-Founder of Venteur: $7.6 Million Raised to Build the Future of Health Insurance
Daniel Lambert
CEO of PathologyWatch
Daniel Lambert, CEO of PathologyWatch: Over $50 Million Raised to Build the Future of Digital Pathology
Dipanwita Das
CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero
Dipanwita Das, CEO and Co-Founder of Sorcero: Over $20 Million Raised to Power Medical Affairs Teams of the Future
Viral Patel
Founder and CEO of Radish Health
Viral Patel, CEO of Radish Health: $5 Million Raised to Connect Employees with a Better Healthcare Experience
David Berry
CEO and Founder of Valo
David Berry, CEO and Founder of Valo: Over $500 Million Raised to Build the Future of Drug Discovery
Trenor Williams
CEO and Co-Founder of Socially Determined
Trenor Williams, CEO and Co-Founder of Socially Determined: $34 Million Raised to Build the Social Risk Intelligence Category
Kyle Kiser
CEO of Arrive Health
Kyle Kiser, CEO of Arrive Health: Over $40 Million Raised to Improve the Value of Healthcare Through Informed Decision-Making
Dilpreet Sahota
CEO of Trek Health
Dilpreet Sahota, CEO of Trek Health: $3 Million Raised to Help Mental Health Providers Accept Insurance
Joseph Schneier
CEO of Trusty Care
Joseph Schneier, CEO of Trusty Care: $13+ Million Raised to Shape the Future of Medicare
Joe Gagnon
CEO of 1upHealth
Joe Gagnon, CEO at 1upHealth: Over $75 Million Raised to Build the Future of Healthcare Data
Ty Allen
CEO of SocialClimb
Ty Allen, CEO of SocialClimb: $12 Million Raised to Power the Future of Healthcare Marketing
Kourosh Davarpanah
Co-Founder and CEO of Inato
Kourosh Davarpanah, Co-Founder and CEO of Inato: Over $35 Million Raised to Build the Future of Clinical Trials
Matthew Stoudt
CEO and Founder of AppliedVR
Matthew Stoudt, CEO and Founder of AppliedVR: Over $70 Million Raised to Build the Future of Chronic Pain Relief