San Diego-based Independa, which has developed a telehealth platform for seniors, has raised about $2.8 million in its second round of funding, according an SEC filing. The company announced part of the round last October when it had raised $1.85 million of the round, which it said was led by longtime backer City Hill Ventures.
Previous investors in the company include LG Electronics USA, which has partnered with Independa to pre-load its home health platform on some of internet-connected TVs for use in senior care facilities.
Independa raised about $5 million in its first round of funding, which closed in early 2013.
Independa’s flagship offering is called Angela, a tablet-based application that helps manage the lives and care of elderly patients who choose to stay in their homes rather than move to assisted living or nursing homes. The offering is also available on select LG TVs as noted above. According to Independa, Angela is a “social interaction solution tailor-made for the non-technical elderly.” The software features one-touch shortcuts to video chats, email, the Internet, Facebook, games and puzzles, and other interactive content. The interface offers large screen fonts, higher contrast and bright colors for those with poor eyesight. Angela can also remind users to take medications; keep medical and personal appointments; and remember birthdays and anniversaries.
"Our investment in Independa is in line with our belief that Independa Angela is an ideal complement to our Pro:Centric platform for delivering services that can have a direct, quality-of-life impact on seniors and provide peace of mind to their loved ones, while also making the jobs of their professional caregivers easier and more effective," LG Senior Vice President Nandhu Nandhakumar noted in a statement a few years ago.
City Hill and Independa have worked together for about three years now: "City Hill Ventures has been a financial partner and active adviser to Independa since early 2011, and it has been gratifying to see the company's progress in such a short time," stated Dr. Jonathan Lim, managing partner of the venture capital firm, last year. "Independa is making a meaningful difference in the lives of caregivers and seniors alike, and we are thrilled to be a part of the company's most recent financing to make its innovative solutions more broadly available."
