The $15 billion ad-powered AI startup your doctor may already be using

Nearly two-thirds of US doctors are turning to an AI-powered search engine to make patient decisions, propelling a little-known tech startup to a $15 billion valuation while prompting a debate over the future of patient care.

Miami-based OpenEvidence, founded by serial entrepreneur Daniel Nadler in 2022, said that many of America’s 1 million physicians processed more than 42 million prompts last month. Doctors are using the company’s chatbot to scour medical journals and clinical guidelines to help diagnose and treat patients.

The ads-powered platform has grown largely by word of mouth, penetrating a sector where few tools have seen similar traction. “We’re the first viral consumer internet app in healthcare,” Nadler told the FT in an interview.