Citizen Health, a patient-powered platform dedicated to transforming rare disease care, announced the closing of a $30 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by 8VC, with participation from Transformation Capital and Headline, bringing total funding to $44 million since the platform’s launch in December 2023.
Founded by Farid Vij (CEO & Co-founder), Nasha Fitter (Chief Business Officer & Co-founder), and a team of industry veterans, Citizen Health introduces a new paradigm in healthcare by empowering patients — particularly those with rare and complex conditions — with agency, clarity, and actionable insights. The platform integrates AI, community, and longitudinal health data to interpret medical records, track symptoms, facilitate peer learning, manage appointments, and guide patients toward the next step in their health journey.
“Today’s patients aren’t waiting — they’re searching, deciding, and expecting more,” said Farid Vij, CEO and co-founder of Citizen Health. “They deserve the same clarity, personalization, and intelligence in healthcare that they get in every other part of their lives. At Citizen, we’re building a personalized AI Advocate for every patient that not only helps people make sense of their health journey, but actually guides them to what they should do next — and connects them to it. This is about turning passive systems into proactive, human-centered experiences.”
Nearly half of American adults live with at least one chronic illness, making self-advocacy critical. Citizen Health’s ultimate vision involves providing every patient with a personalized AI Advocate, transforming fragmented care into a connected, proactive, and precise experience. The company is developing agentic AI capable of taking initiative, identifying, and acting on opportunities to improve health in ways patients might not anticipate.
Vij and Fitter previously collaborated at Ciitizen, acquired by Invitae (NYSE: NVTA) in 2021, where Vij served as co-founder. Citizen Health’s leadership team brings extensive expertise in AI, healthcare, privacy, and consumer technology, with personal motivations rooted in rare disease advocacy and patient empowerment.
Citizen Health has built over 60 communities across 123 rare and complex conditions, partnered with 70+ patient advocacy groups (70% organically), achieved a 98.3% data-sharing rate for research, gained FDA acceptance for submitted data, and collaborated with 10+ pharmaceutical partners. With rare diseases affecting over 400 million people globally and 95% lacking approved treatments, the platform addresses urgent needs through innovation aligned with FDA priorities. The first AI Advocate launch is planned for Q3, alongside a product for advocacy groups, with efforts focused on expanding top-tier talent and deepening industry partnerships.