PillPack Picks Up Pace in Health IT With $50M Deal Led by CRV

It’s no surprise that the latest tech startup to go big in Boston is in health IT. The sector has been burgeoning locally and will probably see more big funding deals this year.

PillPack, an online pharmacy and medication management company, said Wednesday that it has raised $50 million in a financing round led by new investor CRV. Accel Partners, Atlas Venture (the tech fund), Menlo Ventures, and Sherpa Ventures also participated in the round, which brings PillPack’s total raised to $62 million.

PillPack, which is based in Manchester, NH, and Somerville, MA, has seen rapid growth since launching its service in February 2014. The company ships pre-sorted prescriptions, vitamins, and over-the-counter medications in individual time-stamped packs to help customers take their meds properly; it also manages customers’ refills by coordinating with their doctors and insurance providers.

Founder and CEO TJ Parker said the new money will help PillPack expand its physical footprint across the U.S. That will include retail pharmacies and a lot of new hires. PillPack’s service is now available in 47 states, and the company says it accepts most prescription drug insurance plans.

The company’s strategy fits with major themes in health IT: personalization of services, simpler and more efficient user interfaces, and collaborative care, all through modern technology (and a lot of hard work). Other local companies to watch in the sector include American Well, Cohealo, CoPatient, Wellframe, Par8o, and CarePort Health.

PillPack’s previous investors include Techstars, Founder Collective, High Line Venture Partners, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Andy Palmer, and David Tisch.

Author: Gregory T. Huang

Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003. Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.