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Live Chair Health provides a platform that connects underserved communities with crucial health services by leveraging trusted community spaces. Initially established as an appointment scheduling solution for barbershops, the company evolved into a comprehensive health equity platform. It focuses on facilitating access to screenings, education, and preventative care, particularly addressing chronic conditions within high-risk populations through a culturally competent approach.
The company was co-founded by Andrew Suggs, who serves as CEO, and Michael DeVore, whose app idea in 2014 contributed to its genesis, with the company formally established around 2016-2017. Their insight stemmed from recognizing the unique position of community hubs, like barbershops, as trusted environments to engage individuals who might otherwise face barriers to traditional healthcare access, transforming them into vital points of health engagement.
Live Chair Health primarily serves health plans and health systems seeking to improve outcomes for their members, particularly focusing on Black men for conditions like blood pressure management. The company’s vision centers on expanding health equity by delivering accessible and convenient health engagement directly within the communities it serves, aiming to empower individuals to proactively manage their health through familiar and supportive environments.
Live Chair has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round.
Live Chair has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Live Chair is a health technology startup that equips barbershops, hair salons, and churches with kiosks and screening tools to monitor health metrics, detect early signs of chronic diseases, and provide COVID-19 related checks like temperature screenings and questionnaires.[1][2][5] Initially launched in 2016 as a booking service for barbers and clients, it pivoted in 2018 to focus on health disparities, particularly among Black men and underserved communities, by collecting vital data in trusted community spaces to enable preventive care and connections to healthcare providers.[1][3][4] The company serves high-risk populations through partnerships with health systems like LifeBridge Health and managed care organizations, addressing preventable chronic diseases while scaling from three Maryland barbershops to national expansion with a team of three full-time and five part-time employees.[1][2]
Live Chair was founded by Justin Suggs, motivated by personal experience with his father's health struggles, including multiple cardiac arrests in 2019 and passing in 2020, amid a mission to tackle preventable chronic diseases.[1] Launched in 2016 as a full-service booking platform connecting barbers and clients, the company relocated to Maryland in 2018 to integrate health screening tools into barbershops, starting with three locations in Northwest Baltimore.[1][3] A pivotal moment came through participation in the first cohort of FounderTrac accelerator, where advisor Ryan Sears helped catalyze partnerships, including with LifeBridge Health for COVID-19 tools and chronic disease screening amid the pandemic.[1] This evolution positioned Live Chair to expand health services nationally, earning recognition like the 2023 Thomas J. Main Ignite Award from 7wireVentures and United States of Care for health equity innovations.[2]
Live Chair rides the wave of health equity tech and digital health innovations that embed preventive care in community hubs, capitalizing on post-COVID demand for accessible screening in underserved areas.[1][2] Timing aligns with heightened focus on disparities among people of color, where barbershops serve as cultural anchors for Black men, a demographic facing higher chronic disease rates; market forces like partnerships with forward-thinking health systems amplify reach.[1][2] By bridging community stakeholders and healthcare ecosystems, it influences the landscape toward inclusive models, reducing system-wide barriers and fostering scalable impact for high-risk populations.[2][5]
Live Chair is poised for national scaling with fresh funding, expanding kiosks beyond Maryland barbershops into more states, salons, churches, and partnerships to deepen chronic disease prevention and health equity.[1][4] Trends like AI-enhanced vitals monitoring and payer-backed community health initiatives will propel growth, potentially evolving its influence through broader VC support and policy alignments on disparities. This positions Live Chair to redefine accessible care in trusted spaces, fulfilling its origins in booking tech turned lifesaving intervention.[2]
Live Chair has raised $4.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Live Chair's investors include Healthy Ventures.
Live Chair has raised $4.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $4.0M Seed in June 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2022 | $4M Seed | — | Healthy Ventures | Announced |