Buoy

AI-powered healthcare navigation for health plans and employers

Customer Engagement Growth Series C

Overview

Buoy Health is an AI-powered healthcare navigation platform founded in 2014 out of Harvard Innovation Labs. Founded by Andrew Le, MD, with co-founders Adam Lathram, Nathanael Ren, and Eddie Reyes, the platform replicates a diagnostic conversation a patient might have with a doctor -- asking personalized follow-up questions to narrow down likely conditions and recommend the right care pathway.

The platform operates as a B2B SaaS product deployed by health insurers, employers, and health systems to their members and employees. Major investors and customers include Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group (Optum Ventures). Buoy reaches 30+ million total users and 2+ million monthly active users through its AI symptom checker and digital health marketplace, which aggregates 30+ care solutions across physical, mental, and specialized health needs.

Buoy was recognized in TIME Magazine's World's Top HealthTech Companies 2025 list.

Products & Services

Buoy Chat -- AI Symptom Checker

Conversational AI trained on thousands of medical studies and clinical data points. Walks users through a personalized diagnostic conversation, produces a ranked differential diagnosis, and recommends appropriate care settings (primary care, urgent care, telehealth, emergency).

Key Features

Personalized follow-up questions that adapt based on user responses
Differential diagnosis with ranked conditions and explanations
Care pathway recommendations tailored to symptom severity
Follow-up text check-ins on user progress (with permission)

Target Users: Consumers, health plan members, employer populations

Clinician-Authored Content Library

Health articles, symptom guides, and condition explainers written and reviewed by physicians, nurses, and therapists. Covers thousands of medical topics with editorial standards emphasizing accuracy and reliability.

Key Features

Physician, nurse, and therapist review and sign-off on all content
Plain-language explanations designed for lay readers
Comprehensive coverage of symptoms, conditions, and treatments

Target Users: Consumers seeking reliable health information

Digital Health Marketplace

Aggregates 30+ care solutions across physical, mental, and specialized health needs, with curated partner recommendations and consolidated billing for employers. Marketplace Partners:

Key Features

Wellinks (virtual COPD management)
Paloma Health (thyroid consultation)
LabCorp (at-home cancer screening)
HealthTap (virtual primary and urgent care)
Hinge Health (chronic pain management)
Workit Health (addiction treatment support)
LetsGetChecked (self-testing)
CirrusMD (direct physician connections)

Target Users: Employers and health plan members seeking curated digital health options

Employer Benefits Hub

Centralized platform for self-insured employers to deploy Buoy for their workforce. Integrates with existing health benefits ecosystems via findtherightcare.org through the Health Action Council.

Key Features

Consolidated billing and contracting for employer clients
White-labeled or co-branded deployments
Integration with employer benefits portals

Target Users: HR and benefits teams at mid-to-large self-insured employers

Back With Care (2020)

COVID-19 return-to-work digital triage and screening tool deployed with Cigna/Express Scripts. Reached 190 million people through health plan and state government partnerships.

Target Users: Employers, health plans, state governments

At a Glance

Founded: 2014
Headquarters: Boston, MA, USA
Employees: 11-50
Funding: Series C

Category & Focus

Category: Customer Engagement
Subcategories: AI Symptom Checking Healthcare Navigation Digital Health Marketplace Employee Benefits Technology
Insurance Verticals: Health Group Benefits
Target Customers: Carriers, Employers, Consumers