Papa

Papa helps health plans and employers by connecting members, particularly older adults, with real people for companion care. Their services include social support, assistance with daily tasks such as errands, transportation, and caregiving, offering a solution to combat loneliness and improve well-being. This approach not only supports individuals but also aims to enhance health outcomes by addressing social factors that influence overall health.

In 2019 Papa announced partnerships with large health insurers, including Humana, Aetna and more.

In October 2019, Papa raised $10m in Series A funding, led by Canaan, which will be used to expand Papa's services to a wider group of users, and to also form partnerships with insurance plans and employee benefits providers. The round also included participation from Pivotal Ventures, the VC and incubation company created by Melinda Gates.

The company expanded its coverage to 25 states in 2020.

In December 2020 Papa announced the launch of a new healthcare platform - Papa Health. It marks an extension to its Papa Pals proposition, which sees (young) volunteers provide support and companionship to seniors. Arguably this is more pivot than extension, with 'Pals + Health' now described helping users with, for example: navigating the app or help with transport to appointments.

In October 2021 Papa announced it was to partner with Uber Health. The partnership with Uber will see Papa offer transport to seniors, helping them to get rides to decrease isolation and to simplify getting to health appointments.

In November 2021 Papa raised $150m in a Series D funding round which it is using to  expand its "family-on-demand" services to reach more seniors, allowing for enhanced care, companionship, and support.

In July 2023 Papa took steps to enhance security protocols and strengthen background checks following concerns about the safety of elderly seniors. 

In September 2023, it was reported that several major US health insurers, including Humana, CVS Health Corp.’s Aetna and Molina Healthcare declined to renew contracts with the eldercare startup for the upcoming year after a Bloomberg Businessweek report detailed extensive allegations of abuse from seniors who rely on the service, and its workers.  The report was based on an investigation of more than 1,200 confidential complaint reports received by Papa which detailed that some of the contractors entering the homes of the elderly had little training and there were allegations of sexual assault, harassment, theft and unsafe conditions.

Papa has since announced plans to introduce new trust and safety measures, including anonymising phone numbers to help prevent harassment between its contractors and clients.