Iterative Health, a Boston-based operator of a performance-driven global site network for clinical research in GI, hepatology, obesity, and cardiology, has raised $77M in Series C funding led by Intrepid Growth Partners and GV. The company provides operational support, AI-powered patient pre-screening, and training to enable faster site activation and higher enrollment rates. The capital will fuel expansion into new therapeutic areas beyond GI, including cardiology and obesity, with over 100 sites globally.
AI Site Networks Attract Capital
The raise comes amid rising investment in AI-driven clinical trial acceleration. Proscia raised $50M in March 2025 for AI pathology tools, while Deep 6 AI secured $27M before its acquisition by Tempus in March 2025. Iterative Health's model integrates proprietary AI like SKOUT for polyp detection with a dedicated site network, addressing gaps in community-based trial execution.
IBD Enrollment Drops 70% in Decade
Patient enrollment in IBD trials has declined more than 70% over the last decade, per Iterative Health research presented at ECCO. Traditional sites struggle with activation times averaging 120-171 days and enrollment rates far below benchmarks. Community-based models like Iterative's aim to reverse this by embedding research in routine care settings.
Site Network Delivers 3.4X Enrollment
Iterative Health's network achieves 2x faster site activation at 74 days and 3.4x higher enrollment of 0.34 patients per site per month versus benchmarks, validated at ECCO 2026. SKOUT AI enables real-time polyp detection in colonoscopies and boosts randomizations by 40% through pre-screening. This combination outperforms pure AI recruitment tools or standalone networks.
As Jonathan Ng, Founder & CEO noted:
"Every delay in a clinical trial is a delay for patients."
Growth Investors Signal Unicorn Path
Intrepid Growth Partners and GV led the round, with participation from Insight Partners, Obvious Ventures, EDBI, and a family office, bringing total funding to over $270M. The deal values Iterative Health at around $1.3B post-money, achieving unicorn status. Investors back the company's shift to multispecialty research amid FDA pushes for AI and decentralized trials.
Site Management Market Hits $9.46B
The clinical trial investigative site networks market stands at $9.46B in 2026 with an 8.6% CAGR. Trends favor AI integration and decentralized approaches, where Iterative's partnerships with GI Alliance, One GI, and US Heart & Vascular provide direct access to 15M patients. Competitors like Virgo Surgical Video Solutions ($11M raised) focus on endoscopy AI but lack Iterative's scale in site operations.
Physician Founder Drives Efficiency
Founder & CEO Jonathan Ng, a physician with an MBBS from National University of Singapore and MIT Sloan MBA, previously co-founded Optimimed to share MRI resources across Singapore hospitals. His experience in clinical operations and health equity informs Iterative's site-centric model. The team includes elite AI talent like Head of ML with FDA-approved devices and recent hires like CMO Nadege Gunn, MD for hepatology and obesity.
Cardiology Expansion Via Partnerships
Post-funding, Iterative Health partnered with US Heart & Vascular for community-based cardiovascular research and hired for cardiology roles. Plans include scaling the global network of 100+ sites across NA, EU, India, and Australia, with AI tools reducing review times by 81% in partnerships like Eli Lilly.