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Inside Forward's failed attempt to revolutionize the doctor's office with AI
- Healthtech startup, Forward, has announced its closure due to insufficient growth and struggles in creating its CarePods mall kiosks for autonomous healthcare access, creating setbacks in the rollout of CarePods in big markets like Chicago and New York City.
- These metallic kiosks enabled patients to take their own blood, sequence their DNA and undergo tests for diseases like COVID-19 without another human's aid.
- However, fewer patients than the company hoped for showed interest in the kiosks and there were logistic problems for creating the kiosks. After Forward was faced with automatic blood draw failures, the clinics had to revert to manual blood draws and lab test offerings were withdrawn.
- Forward had reportedly laid off many employees earlier this year as the startup's strategy pivoted from healthcare clinics to CarePods, but never successfully launched beyond five to two CarePod locations prior to its closure.
- Although some former employees still support the company's mission for expanding access to quality healthcare, executives from Forward had expressed that doctors were replaceable, leading some former colleagues to feel misled towards the vision of the CarePod.
- The startup's plan for CarePods also ran into funding issues as investors leaned away from late-stage investments and healthcare deals.
- Forward's first CarePod, in the Roseville Galleria, has been removed, and other tenants are planned to replace it, including a new playground in the kiosk's location.
- The company announced its immediate closure in a late-night email on 16 November and has yet to comment on the situation following Business Insider's multiple requests for comment.
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