Citizen Health, a patient-powered platform transforming rare disease care, has raised $30 million in Series A funding to advance its AI Advocate technology. The round was led by 8VC, with participation from Transformation Capital and Headline, bringing the company's total funding to $44 million since its December 2023 launch.
Founded by Farid Vij and Nasha Fitter, who previously led Ciitizen before its acquisition by Invitae in 2021, Citizen Health is developing a personalized AI Advocate designed to help patients navigate complex healthcare journeys. The platform combines artificial intelligence, community support, and longitudinal health data to help patients interpret medical records, track symptoms, learn from peers, and manage appointments.
Platform Demonstrates Strong Patient Engagement
The company has achieved significant traction in the rare disease community, building over 60 engaged communities across 123 rare and complex conditions. Citizen Health has partnered with more than 70 patient advocacy groups, with 70% joining organically, demonstrating strong grassroots adoption.
A key indicator of patient trust is the platform's 98.3% data-sharing rate, with patients voluntarily contributing their health information for research purposes. This data has already been accepted by the FDA for regulatory submissions, validating the platform's research-grade quality. The company is also collaborating with over 10 pharmaceutical partners to support drug discovery and clinical trials.
Addressing Critical Unmet Needs
With rare diseases affecting over 400 million people globally and 95% of these conditions still lacking approved treatments, Citizen Health's mission addresses a significant healthcare gap. The platform's approach aligns with recent FDA calls for innovation in rare disease research and addresses challenges posed by shifting NIH funding priorities.
"Today's patients aren't waiting—they're searching, deciding, and expecting more," said Farid Vij, CEO and co-founder of Citizen Health. "They deserve the same clarity, personalization, and intelligence in healthcare that they get in every other part of their lives. At Citizen, we're building a personalized AI Advocate for every patient that not only helps people make sense of their health journey, but actually guides them to what they should do next—and connects them to it."
AI Advocate Launch Planned for Q3
The company plans to launch the first version of its AI Advocate to select communities in Q3 2025, alongside a new product designed specifically for patient advocacy organizations. The AI system is being developed as an agentic platform that can take initiative, identifying and acting on opportunities to improve patient health outcomes in ways patients themselves might not anticipate.
Sebastian Caliri, Partner at 8VC who led the Series A round and joined Citizen's Board of Directors, emphasized the platform's comprehensive approach: "We backed Citizen because they are redefining the care model for patients with complex disease. Citizen's AI advocate is the foundation of a pioneering patient and caregiver experience that is already helping thousands of Americans answer previously unanswerable questions, make informed medical decisions, and accelerate new cures."
Strategic Focus on Talent and Partnerships
With nearly half of American adults living with at least one chronic illness, Citizen Health's vision extends beyond rare diseases to provide every patient with a personalized AI Advocate. The company's primary focus moving forward is recruiting top AI engineers, product builders, and designers to accelerate development, while deepening partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, policymakers, and patient organizations.
As genetic testing becomes more accessible and new disease groups are identified, Citizen Health's platform provides critical infrastructure for connecting patients and generating the data-driven insights needed to advance treatment development in underserved therapeutic areas.
