Digital health newsroom

Kaia Health is the world’s largest digital therapeutics company, creating accessible, evidence-based therapies for a range of conditions including musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Covering 90M million lives globally, our digital-first therapy programs are powered by motion analysis technology and guided by clinical experts. Patients only need a smartphone or tablet to access care 24/7, with no sensors, wearables, or other equipment needed. Headquartered in New York and Munich, Kaia Health partners with leading health plans and employers to deliver care that is proven to be as safe and effective as traditional care.

Kaia Health was born when founders, Konstantin Mehl and Manuel Thurner, came together on a mission to find a more effective way to manage chronic back pain. After years of personal suffering from this issue, the founder duo discovered the solution: multimodal therapy, a comprehensive, mind-body approach that is often known as the gold standard for pain management. The challenge was that the cost – both time and money – made this therapy virtually inaccessible to just about everyone. And so enter Kaia: a digital version of multimodal therapy that can be accessed by anyone, anytime and anywhere.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is outpacing all other conditions as a top healthcare cost driver, with 1 in 2 American now living with a MSK condition like back, joint, and chronic pain. MSK is now one of the top medical claims spend areas for 3 in 4 US employers and employer MSK spend was estimated to exceed $380B in previous years, exacerbated by delayed procedures and poor work-from-home conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, almost half of this spend is wasted as the majority of patients don’t receive appropriate, non-surgical care like physical therapy (PT). The #1 reason is the lack of access, with patients facing long wait times for appointments, having to take time off from work, or having to find quality providers themselves. As a result, only 10% of people with MSK will see a PT, while others rely on costly and often ineffective treatments like imaging, opioids, and surgery.

Kaia Health offers pain relief in the palm of your hand, through digital therapy that addresses a range of conditions including back, joint, and chronic pain. Evidence-based musculoskeletal care is accessible anytime, anywhere via a mobile app on your smartphone or tablet – no need for long wait times or appointments. Kaia is your trusted companion to better health, providing tailored care plans with easy-to-follow exercises, mindfulness techniques, educational content, and unlimited 1:1 support from our care team. Motion Coach, our industry leading motion analysis technology, guides you through each exercise session with real-time feedback, ensuring that you are in safe hands every step of the way.

Kaia Health is a trusted solution built on rigorous clinical evidence, with 16+ peer-reviewed clinical studies published to-date, This includes the Rise-uP study, the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) in the digital musculoskeletal space with over 1,200 participants, which demonstrated significant improvements among its participants across both physical (pain, functional ability) and mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) compared to traditional treatments. Other industry-first studies include the motion analysis validation study, which validated our computer vision technology’s ability to provide exercise feedback as accurate as a human PT, as well as the post-market safety study, which demonstrated the safety of Kaia’s program among a cohort of 140K+ users.

In 2016, Kaia Health introduced Motion Coach, the industry’s first computer vision technology for movement tracking and exercise feedback. Delivered through each member’s own smartphone or tablet, Motion Coach tracks dozens of key points on the body to analyze motion and offer corrective feedback in real-time, offering a care experience as safe and effective as in-person PT with a human care provider. Over the years, Motion Coach has evolved to provide audiovisual feedback, functional assessments, and gamified warm-ups in the digital program, while receiving a tremendous amount of positive feedback, with members lauding its easy-of-use, it’s 24/7 availability, and the engaging care experience it provides. Many members appreciate the minimal setup lift associated with Motion Coach, as it doesn’t require them to wear clunky sensors or wearables for exercise. This is especially crucial for members who work in highly mobile and dynamic settings, as they can access care around the clock, be it at home, in the office, or on a work trip.

Kaia Health has raised $123 million in funding to date and is one of the top funded companies in the digital musculoskeletal space.