By Prudence Minayo
Joseph Gitonga is a Kenyan born US based entrepreneur who has made it to Forbes Top 30 under 30 list. He is the brains behind Vitable Health-a medical insurance cover with a bias in home health workers. According to Forbes, the company ggives home health workers and others a primary care-based health insurance plan with virtual and at-home visits with no copays or deductibles. He was inspired to start the business after seeing the struggles his parents went through in their company, Hosana Home Health Care.
“At their small business, hourly workers made too much to qualify for Medicaid, too little to afford comprehensive health insurance, so they were stuck uninsured and over-utilizing the ER,” he said in a previous interview.
Background
The 24-year-old emigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 13. His parents started a home-care facility where they provided care for the elderly. He later joined Pennsylvania State University.
The idea to form Vitable Health took shape while he was at the University. In 2018, he scooped $10,000 at a competition organized by the institution and used the money to turn his idea into a business.
Also Read: Billy Kipkorir Chemirmir: The Kenyan Accused Of Killing 18 Elderly Women In The US
At the beginning, he did not even know if it would be possible. He didn’t know how to hire providers and corporate practice of medical law. Nonetheless, he began laying the foundation for his Pennsylvania-based business in the fall of 2018 and has never looked back since. He dropped out of university in 2020 where he was studying computer engineering in order to pursue his dream.
Apart from Vitable health, he has also worked as an intern for Microsoft between 2017 and 2019. He turned down a job offer with Microsoft to focus on his business.
More on Vitable Health
The company has more than 20 employees and works with about 50 nurse practitioners. Clients find Vitable Health convenient as they come to you and not vice versa. They have so far signed up more than 10,000 people around Pennsylvania and Delaware.
A child care center and pre-school, Somerset Academy, is among satisfied clients of Vitable Health. One of their teachers said they loved the fact that Vitable Health goes to them, are prompt and always call later to check on them. Some of the services covered by the company include: primary, chronic and urgent care, and sexual health and women’s health. Their providers can either meet patients at their homes or virtually.
Joseph Gitonga and his employees built a software system that controls end to end experiences. This includes the app for members, electronic medical records of visits and the dashboard for employers.
Funding
They have won a number of fundings including :
A fellowship from Tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s foundation in 2020 that gives $100,000 over a period of two years to young entrepreneurs who skipped or dropped out of college to build a business.
In October 2021, they announced a $7.2 million funding to help launch mental health services and hire more Practitioners.
A $1.6 million investment led by Softbank’s Opportunity Fund in early 2021.
