Empirical Health Secures Early Funding to Expand AI‑Powered Preventive Health Platform

Empirical Health, a New York‑based preventive health startup that combines advanced biomarkers, wearable data, and AI‑powered insights to deliver deeply personalized health guidance, has been advancing its mission of proactive healthcare following early funding support from prominent investors. The company, founded in 2022 by physician Raquel Rodriguez Martinez, MD and health‑tech entrepreneur Brandon Ballinger, emerged from Y Combinator’s Summer 2023 cohort and secured initial financial backing that helped it build and scale its precision‑care platform.

In July 2023, Empirical Health completed a pre‑seed funding round that provided critical early capital to develop its core technology and expand its team. Participants in this seed financing included Y Combinator as the lead investor, alongside Broom Ventures, Pacific 8 Ventures, Pioneer Fund, and Rebel Fund, among others. This group of supporters backed the company’s vision of creating a health platform that helps users interpret detailed biomarker data and actionable health plans.

Empirical Health’s platform is designed to integrate clinical‑grade lab tests — often including more than 100 advanced biomarkers — with wearable data and machine learning models to generate personalized care plans. The startup has focused on making this high‑resolution approach accessible, helping users understand underlying health risks, especially related to cardiovascular disease, and providing clear steps to reduce risk over time.

Since its initial funding, Empirical Health has seen rapid growth in user adoption and clinical reach. By the end of 2025, the company reported that it had served more than 100,000 patients nationwide, reflecting strong demand for its blend of preventive care, data transparency, and AI‑enhanced guidance. This milestone capped a year in which Empirical expanded its footprint from offering services in just a handful of states to operating across 30 U.S. states — illustrating a significant increase in both geographic reach and market traction.

Throughout 2025, Empirical Health also deepened its product offerings, including the launch of advanced programs such as comprehensive heart health assessments that encompass a wide array of cardiovascular and metabolic markers. These programs pair lab results with personalized care plans designed by clinicians and supported by the company’s proprietary health models. Such offerings are central to Empirical’s strategy of preventive medicine, helping individuals identify risk factors earlier and take proactive measures to improve long‑term outcomes.

Empirical’s growth has been accompanied by increased recognition for its technology and design. In September 2025, the company’s mobile application was highlighted by major platform partners for its intuitive user experience, which helps translate complex health data into accessible insights. Additionally, the company strengthened its scientific leadership with research on health foundation models accepted for presentation at leading artificial intelligence conferences, signaling an ongoing commitment to contributing to the broader scientific and medical community.

Going into 2026, Empirical Health is focused on expanding its suite of biomarkers and enhancing integrations with consumer health platforms, enabling users to connect data from diverse sources such as smartwatches and clinical labs. The company also plans to continue investing in clinical research to validate its approaches and scale its preventive‑care models through evidence‑based practices.

The early backing by investors such as Y Combinator, Broom Ventures, Pacific 8 Ventures, Pioneer Fund, and Rebel Fund — combined with strong user growth and expanding clinical programs — positions Empirical Health as a noteworthy player in the preventive and personalized healthcare space. Its approach reflects a growing trend toward leveraging artificial intelligence and rich biometric data to empower individuals with deeper health insights and actionable plans that can improve outcomes and help avert chronic disease.