Employee benefits technology provider Avante has raised $30m in a Series A round to scale its artificial intelligence (AI) platform across international markets and develop tools that help employers manage benefits programmes more efficiently.
Frist Cressey Ventures led the investment, joined by new backers Sorenson Capital, Hearst Ventures and Morgan Stanley Next Level Fund. Existing investor FUSE also participated, taking Avante’s total funding to $40m.
The fresh capital will support the development of Avante’s AI agent network, which helps employers oversee benefits providers, analyse programmes and reduce manual administration. The company also plans to expand its employee-facing tools, offering personalised guidance to help workers understand their coverage and make better use of available support.
Avante’s expansion comes as employers contend with rising health care expenditure. Large employers expect health care costs to increase by a median of 9.2% in 2027, adding pressure on benefits teams to control spending while maintaining the support available to their workforce.
Managing these programmes can involve coordinating numerous vendors, insurance plans and compliance requirements across different jurisdictions. Yet many teams continue to depend on spreadsheets, fragmented information and manual processes to oversee one of their organisations’ largest expenses.
Avante’s platform applies AI to tasks such as analysing vendor performance, preparing for renewals and identifying weaknesses in employee benefits offerings. Its technology can cross-reference contractual terms with claims data, detect discrepancies in plan documentation and monitor upcoming deadlines.
The company recently introduced Ava Agents in beta, allowing benefits professionals to delegate recurring work to AI agents and review the completed outputs. Employees can also use the platform to obtain tailored answers about their coverage, including family benefits and support related to a new diagnosis, without waiting for assistance from HR staff.
Since entering the market 18 months ago, Avante has built a customer base of more than 70 organisations. Bookings have grown almost fivefold year on year, and all customers that have reached renewal have renewed their contracts. Its platform now serves more than 385,000 employees and family members.
Among its reported customer outcomes, Samsung Semiconductor recorded a 66% increase in employees and dependants discovering and accessing existing mental health support. News Corp has used Avante’s workforce insights to shorten decision-making processes, while Real Chemistry and Zscaler are also customers.
Avante has developed partnerships with benefits advisers Gallagher, OneDigital, Segal Benz, Howden and USI Insurance Services to broaden its distribution and reach more employers.
Rohan D’Souza, CEO and co-founder of Avante, said, “Benefits teams are responsible for one of the largest and most consequential investments their companies make, yet they’re still operating with outdated information, archaic spreadsheets, and technology built for another era. We’re combining purpose-built technology with real-time automation and years of benefits expertise across the AI stack, resulting in 100x leverage for the people whose decisions shape the health, financial security, and well-being of millions. Few areas of work touch people’s lives more directly, and benefits teams deserve technology built for the importance of what they do.”
Senator Bill Frist, M.D., co-founder and managing partner of Frist Cressey Ventures, added, “As a physician, I saw again and again how hard it is for patients and their families to find their way through our health care system. Avante is harnessing AI to make that system easier to navigate, so employees get better care and employers get relief from costs that keep climbing. Its team brings rare depth in technology, health care and benefits, and has already earned the trust of leading employers. We’re proud to partner with Avante to reach more companies and make a lasting difference for the families who count on them.”
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