Cigna, the Connecticut-based health services company, has announced the launch of Cigna Ventures, a corporate venture fund focused on investing in promising healthcare startups and growth-stage companies.
Cigna has specially committed $250 million of capital to Cigna Ventures to invest in transformative and innovative healthcare companies “that are unlocking new growth possibilities in healthcare and will bring improved care quality, affordability, choice, and greater simplicity to customers and clients,” officials said in a press release.
Cigna Ventures is particularly focused on companies across three strategic areas: insights and analytics; digital health and retail; and care delivery/management. Officials say the venture fund was created to help Cigna identify, assess and sponsor early-stage innovation ideas that warrant deeper exploration through focused pilot and test-and-learn activities with the goal of realizing meaningful business value.
“Cigna’s commitment to improving the health, well-being and sense of security of the people we serve is at the front and center of everything we do,” Tom Richards, senior vice president and global lead, strategy and business development at Cigna, said in a statement. “The venture fund will enable us to drive innovation beyond our existing core business operations, and incubate new ideas, opportunities and relationships that have the potential for long-term business growth and to help our customers.”
As an article in Bloomberg noted, “Health insurers have been starting venture-capital arms to find new ideas to improve their businesses and generate financial returns. UnitedHealth Group Inc., the biggest health insurer, said in November that its Optum unit was creating a venture arm with $250 million in funds. Humana Inc., Kaiser Permanente, and a group of Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurers all have venture units.”According to officials, the venture fund builds on Cigna's existing venture activity, including collaboration with five venture capital partners and an equal number of existing direct investments. These include leading the C1 round of financing with Omada Health, investments in Prognos, Contessa Health, MDLIVE and Cricket Health.
