Jasper Health, a cancer platform startup, has laid off a significant portion of its workforce, according to TechCrunch. Mechanical engineering and product design were among the departments affected by the cuts, according to LinkedIn posts by affected employees.
TechCrunch was unable to independently verify the exact number of people who were cut, but an industry source familiar with the affected people believes it was about half of Jasper Health’s small team. According to PitchBook data, Jasper Health had about 48 employees before the cuts.
The company’s co-founder and CEO, Adam Pellegrini, did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. Attempts by TechCrunch to reach Jasper Health’s chief operating officer, chief development officer and chief marketing officer by email were unsuccessful, with messages returning.
A little over two years ago, in February 2022, Jasper Health raised a $25 million series led by General Catalyst, with participation from Human Capital, W Health Ventures, Redesign Health and 7wireVentures. At the time, the company said it increased overall 31 million dollars in venture capital.
Most importantly, Jasper is a General Catalyst holding company. The VC firm is one of the most active investors in the healthcare sector. It is so serious about bringing new startup-led technology into the US health care system that earlier this year, the VC firm bought an Ohio-based health system called Suma Health, an unprecedented venture capital move. But obviously, that doesn’t mean all GC-backed health tech startups will flourish every time and right without setbacks.
Jasper is also notable for being designed and launched in 2018 by Redesign Health, a venture firm and studio that creates new healthcare companies. Led by CEO Brett Shaheen (formerly of Lone Pine Capital and the Carlyle Group), Redesign says it has built 50 healthcare startups that have collectively raised $1.3 billion. Redesign, which is backed by LPs such as General Catalyst, CVS Health Ventures and Samsung Next, also had its own layoffs earlier this year. Fierce Healthcare reported.
Jasper’s digital yet human-centric platform offers care navigation, patient support and remote patient monitoring. The company also provides psychosocial care. It says about 12% of its users are in remission from cancer.
Pelligrini, the company’s founder, began his career as a surgeon in the US Army. He also helped create the American Cancer Society’s website, which provides information to patients and caregivers about the disease. Prior to founding Jasper, he was the senior vice president of virtual care and consumer health innovation at CVS Health.
Jasper Health’s competitors include Thyme Care and Reimagine Care.
