Key Facts
- ✓ Tivara raised $3.6 million in a seed round backed by Y Combinator, Mischief VC, and Day One Ventures.
- ✓ Co-founders Tej Seelamsetty and Aumesh Misra are Washington University in St. Louis alumni.
- ✓ The startup focuses on administrative AI for large specialty medical groups with 20 to 500 doctors.
- ✓ Seelamsetty was inspired to start the company after waiting over an hour to book an appointment following a shoulder injury.
Quick Summary
Healthcare administration startup Tivara has secured $3.6 million in seed funding to deploy AI agents for medical offices. The round was backed by prominent investors including Y Combinator, Mischief VC, and Day One Ventures.
Co-founded by Tej Seelamsetty and Aumesh Misra, Tivara aims to automate the time-consuming administrative tasks that burden medical practices. The company specifically targets large specialty medical groups, offering solutions for patient communication, scheduling, and insurance processing. By focusing on non-clinical workflows, Tivara distinguishes itself in a crowded market of AI-assisted patient messaging startups.
The Origin Story
The idea for Tivara was born out of personal frustration with the healthcare system. In 2024, co-founder Tej Seelamsetty dislocated his shoulder, leading to a difficult patient experience. The 29-year-old entrepreneur recounted waiting on the phone for over an hour just to book an appointment with an orthopedist.
The administrative hurdles did not end there. After the appointment, it took two weeks for insurance to approve the scheduling of his MRI. Seelamsetty described the broader industry issue as a "ton of paper-pushing." This experience motivated him to partner with Aumesh Misra to create a solution that streamlines these inefficiencies.
Prior to founding Tivara, Seelamsetty served as the head of growth for Fair Square, a technology-enabled Medicare brokerage. He noted that his time there exposed him to significant back-and-forth between beneficiaries and insurance carriers.
"There's just a ton of paper-pushing."
— Tej Seelamsetty, Co-founder
Product and Market Focus
Tivara introduces AI agents specifically designed to take over phone calls and scheduling duties. The company promises to answer patient calls, handle prescription refills, and significantly cut down the hours of "grunt work" associated with medical visits.
The startup distinguishes itself by remaining strictly administrative, rather than clinical. Seelamsetty emphasized that Tivara is not trying to replace doctors but rather to support the operational side of their practices. This approach addresses a specific pain point for physicians sifting through various new technologies to find tools that genuinely improve productivity without adding complexity.
Tivara focuses on a specific segment of the market: large specialty medical groups employing between 20 and 500 doctors. Current customers include:
- Los Angeles Cancer Network
- Astera Customer Care
Funding and Future Plans
The recent $3.6 million seed round brings total investment to a significant milestone for the early-stage company. Investors in the round include Plaid CEO Zach Perret's Mischief VC, Day One Ventures, Y Combinator, and various healthcare industry angel investors.
According to Seelamsetty, the funding amount exceeded the company's initial target. The decision to raise more was strategic, intended to "make room for more strategic investors" who can add value beyond just capital.
Currently, Tivara employs five full-time staff members. The new capital is being deployed immediately to expand the team. The founders met while studying computer science at Washington University in St. Louis, and they utilized a hands-on approach to validate their idea, calling "every single doctor we knew" to shadow their practices before building the product.
"The duo called "every single doctor we knew" and asked to shadow their practices."
— Tej Seelamsetty, Co-founder
