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Ria Health provides effective alcohol addiction treatment through a 100% online program, combining FDA-approved medications with counseling to help individuals reduce or stop drinking.
Ria Health has raised $27.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Ria Health has raised $27.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Ria Health has raised $27.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Series B in February 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2025 | $7M Series B | — | Lexi Ventures, SOSV, SV Health Investors | Announced |
| Nov 30, 2022 | $2M Grant | National Institutes OF Health | — | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2022 | $18M Series A | Michael Balmuth | SOSV, SV Health Investors, Brook Private Equity Advisors | Announced |
Ria Health is a tech-enabled telehealth platform delivering evidence-based treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT), one-on-one coaching, digital tracking tools like connected breathalyzers, peer support, and harm reduction strategies.[1][2][3] It serves adults seeking to reduce alcohol misuse—often without requiring full abstinence—through personalized, physician-managed programs accessible via telehealth, targeting individuals, health plans, self-insured employers, and health systems.[1][2][4] The company solves the limitations of traditional "one-size-fits-all" addiction care by offering convenient, stigma-free treatment that addresses co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression, with strong outcomes: 70% of patients reduce WHO risk drinking levels within 30 days and over 80% sustain it after 12 months, leading to improved mental health, quality of life, and reduced healthcare costs.[2][5][6] Growth includes an $18 million Series A in 2022, partnerships with insurers like Anthem and Magellan Healthcare, and The Joint Commission accreditation as the first AUD telehealth provider.[1][2][6]
Founded in 2016 by Dr. John Mendelson—a physician with expertise in addiction research—and David Deacon, Ria Health emerged from a recognition of AUD's massive scale (affecting 1 in 10 U.S. adults, the third-leading preventable death cause) and the inadequacies of conventional treatments.[2][5] Headquartered in San Francisco, the idea crystallized around telehealth's potential, especially amid the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when in-person care barriers spiked demand for virtual options, particularly among women balancing work and family.[1][5] Early traction came from breakthrough patient outcomes and insurer integrations; under CEO Tom Nix (with a tech-health background), it secured Joint Commission accreditation for evidence-based protocols and raised $18 million in Series A funding in 2022 to scale.[2][5][6] Pivotal moments include proving clinical efficacy through WHO risk level reductions and expanding to employer programs.[5]
Ria Health rides the telehealth and digital therapeutics wave in behavioral health, accelerated by pandemic-driven virtual care adoption and rising AUD prevalence (exacerbated by increased drinking during COVID).[1][6] Timing aligns with insurer shifts toward value-based care—prioritizing outcomes over volume—enabling partnerships with Anthem, Magellan, and Highmark, while market forces like AUD's $249 billion annual U.S. economic burden and stigma barriers favor scalable, private solutions.[1][2] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering evidence-based AUD telehealth, challenging abstinence-only norms, and expanding into employer education to destigmatize treatment, potentially lowering societal costs from DUIs, lost productivity, and family impacts.[1][4][5]
Ria Health is poised for expansion into employer wellness (e.g., alcohol education training) and more states/insurers, leveraging its clinical data to capture a slice of the underserved AUD market amid growing mental health integration in tech-health.[5][6] Trends like AI-driven personalization, broader MAT acceptance, and hybrid care models will amplify its edge, though state licensing limits growth. Its influence may evolve from niche AUD specialist to broader substance use platform, transforming access as telehealth normalizes compassionate, data-proven recovery—ultimately helping millions drink less and live better, as its mission promises.[2][4]
Ria Health has raised $27.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Ria Health's investors include Lexi Ventures, SOSV, SV Health Investors, National Institutes of Health, Michael Balmuth, Brook Private Equity Advisors.
