Catch New York
Catch New York is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at Catch New York.
Catch New York is a company.
Key people at Catch New York.
Key people at Catch New York.
# Catch: Benefits for the Self-Employed
Catch is a benefits platform that provides health insurance, retirement savings plans, and tax withholding services directly to gig workers, freelancers, and contractors—populations traditionally excluded from employer-sponsored benefits.[1] Founded in 2019 by Kristen Anderson and Andrew Ambrosino, the company addresses a critical gap in the gig economy by helping self-employed individuals access affordable health coverage and retirement planning without employer sponsorship.[1]
The platform operates as a broker, sifting through hundreds of insurance plans to match users with tailored coverage based on their needs and budget.[3] Catch applies tax credits instantly to reduce costs and charges users nothing for its service, earning revenue through commissions on insurance policies sold.[3] The company has achieved significant traction: its user base tripled over one year, and users are holding five times their usual savings balances while investing more in retirement and health insurance.[1]
Catch emerged in 2019 when co-founders Kristen Anderson and Andrew Ambrosino identified an underserved market: the millions of gig workers and self-employed individuals without access to traditional employer benefits. The founding team spent nearly two years securing regulatory approvals to sell on the federal marketplace across 38 states—a feat accomplished by only eight companies nationally, with Catch among just three approved to sell benefits directly to consumers.[1]
Early growth was driven by organic demand and a strategic partnership with DoorDash, which exposed the platform to a large population of gig workers.[1] By July 2021, the company had raised $18.1 million across funding rounds, including a $12 million Series A led by Crosslink with participation from Khosla Ventures, NYCA Partners, Kindred Ventures, and Urban Innovation Fund.[1] The company relocated its headquarters from Boston to New York during this period.[1]
Catch operates at the intersection of two major trends: the explosive growth of gig work and the fragmentation of the traditional employer-benefits model. As more workers move into freelance and contract roles—accelerated by pandemic-era shifts in work arrangements—the absence of portable benefits has become a critical pain point.[1] Catch addresses this by creating infrastructure that treats benefits as a consumer product rather than an employment perk.
The company's success reflects broader venture capital interest in benefits innovation for non-traditional workers. Competitors raised funding in the same period, signaling investor confidence in this market segment.[1] By building on the federal marketplace infrastructure and securing rare regulatory approvals, Catch has positioned itself as a trusted intermediary in a space where consumer protection concerns are paramount—particularly given Anderson's acknowledgment of "nefarious companies" offering suspiciously cheap coverage with hidden exclusions.[1]
Catch is well-positioned to capture significant market share in the self-employed benefits space, particularly as gig work continues to normalize. The company's founders are already planning for Series B funding within a couple of years, signaling confidence in the business model.[1] Future growth will likely depend on expanding beyond the federal marketplace to serve a broader audience of self-employed individuals and deepening the product suite with proprietary offerings like HSAs and disability insurance.
The timing is favorable: regulatory tailwinds, demonstrated user demand, and a clear path to profitability through commission-based revenue create a compelling foundation. As the gig economy matures, Catch's role in democratizing access to benefits—historically a privilege of traditional employment—positions it as a potential category leader in portable benefits infrastructure.
