Gender-affirming health care app Plume recently announced it has received $14 million in funding during their first round of venture capital financing. The funding round was led by Craft Ventures with General Catalyst, Slow Ventures, and Town Hall Ventures participating.
The Denver-based startup launched the Plume app in December of 2019 in hopes to increase accessibility to those who are seeking gender-affirming care. Dr. Mathew Weitschler and Dr. Jerrica Kirkley, friends who met in medical school, co-founded the app. Weitschler currently serves as the CEO, and Kirkley serves as the Chief Medical Officer.
“The trans community has long been denied the healthcare it deserves, and Plume is changing that. Our telehealth model allows us to scale quickly in new markets and provide expert care at an affordable price for our members,” says Wetschler in a statement. “Our platform is designed to make the journey for those seeking gender-affirming care a seamless and joyous one. Our goal is to transform health care for every trans life.”
Plume works on a subscription-based model. For $99 a month, Plume pairs folks with a medical supervisor that specializes in gender-affirming care, then discusses their goals. The medical providers create a treatment plan, which can include prescriptions to begin hormonal therapy. The plan covers all labs, including blood tests and hormone monitoring. The company does not perform gender reassignment surgeries, but it can recommend surgeons in the area that are capable.
The price of the medication is not included in the subscription, and Plume does not accept health insurance; users pay out of pocket. All of Plume’s services are provided entirely on the app, and consultations with the medical supervisors take place virtually.
The idea is to provide a way for people seeking gender-affirming care to get that care by medical supervisors who specialize in that area, many of whom are trans themselves. This way, trans individuals can avoid going through a healthcare system that is generally ignorant of their needs. A statement put out by Plume says that 30 percent of trans people fear discrimination in the healthcare system, and 50 percent of trans people in urban areas buy medication off the street.
In 2020, Plume partnered with Point of Pride, a nonprofit organization that supports trans individuals, to provide a year’s worth of gender-affirming care to one individual chosen based on an application process. Plume plans to provide similar grants in the future.
