Co-Founded by a Dallas Native, Boston Metabolic Health Startup knownwell To Open Clinic in Plano

Knownwell—a “weight-inclusive” primary care and metabolic health company founded in Boston in 2022—is expanding to Texas with a clinic in Plano. Expanding to North Texas is a natural fit for the startup’s co-founder and CEO, Dallas native Brooke Boyarsky Pratt.

Brooke Boyarsky Pratt

With new GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic shaking up the weight-loss industry, comprehensive metabolic care is not always offered in tandem, knownwell notes—so the startup aims to “lead a shift in the narrative from health systems, payors, and employers having a GLP-1 strategy, to them having a comprehensive obesity treatment strategy.”

Knownwell’s goal is to be the healthcare home for patients with overweight and obesity, “discarding biases and focusing on the root-causes of patient conditions.”

“In a market that’s currently swarmed by companies trying to offer short term GLP-1 solutions, we’re proud to be the only comprehensive, clinically based, patient-centered home for those with overweight or obesity,” Boyarsky Pratt said in a statement. “Patients with overweight and obesity know how hard it is to find comprehensive, insurance-based, non-stigmatizing and clinically-based healthcare. knownwell exists to be a healthcare home to patients who have been stigmatized for too long by the healthcare system because of their size.”

The Plano clinic, at 5425 W Spring Creek Pkwy Suite 200, is slated to open in late summer or early fall, providing Dallas patients with “evidence-based, high-quality obesity and weight management medicine through primary care, nutrition counseling, behavioral health services, and more.”

Raised $20M Series A in December

In December, knownwell announced raising a $20 million Series A funding round led by Andreesen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health with participation from existing investors including Series Seed lead Flare Capital Partners. That brought the startup’s total funding to $24.5 million.

Knownwell was co-founded by Boyarsky Pratt—who has had lifelong obesity—and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Angela Fitch, president of the Obesity Medicine Association. The co-founders combined “lived experiences to create a weight-inclusive care company that takes a clinically and patient-driven approach to effectively partner with patients for long term results,” the company said. The company’s founding in the Greater Boston area isn’t too big a surprise, since Boyarsky Pratt earned her MBA at Harvard.

Inside knownwell’s Boston clinic [Photo: knownwell]

With the new funding, knownwell said it aimed to expand its clinics and telehealth offering as it partners with health systems, payors, and employers to deliver care.

The funding also enables the company “to double down on product development, including incorporating AI-powered patient stratification, asynchronous communication, and provider workflow enablement tools into its care model,” knownwell said. Also in train is partnering with major pharmaceutical companies to conduct and participate in clinical trials.

“Patients with overweight and obesity know how hard it is to find comprehensive, insurance-based, non-stigmatizing and clinically-based healthcare,” Boyarsky Pratt said in December. “knownwell exists to be a healthcare home to patients who have been stigmatized for too long by the healthcare system because of their size.”

Acquisition of Alfie Health, C-suite hires

Just last week, knownwell announced its acquisition of New York City-based Alfie Health, a virtual obesity management clinic that uses AI to make recommendations to help patients lose weight. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Knownwell said its will leverage the acquisition to integrate Alfie’s AI-powered “ObesityRx” platform into its current care model. Alfie’s technology analyzes patient medical history to determine the most effective treatment strategies for sustainable metabolic health improvements, leveraging a data-driven approach to balance cost and improve outcomes, knownwell said.

Accompanying the acquisition is the appointment of the first C-suite hires since knownwell’s 2022 founding: Chief Operating Officer James Chaukos and Chief Growth Officer John Frager join the existing executive leadership team of Boyarsky Pratt and Fitch.

Launch of knownwell teens

As it announced its Series A round, the company also introduced knownwell teens, a new clinical offering designed to support the 14 million children and teens living with obesity in the U.S.. Created by the startup’s obesity medicine specialists, the new model aims to help patients’ metabolic health through the company’s comprehensive, shame- and blame-free care model.”