Doctors’ ‘brain extender’ OpenEvidence nabs $250M at $12B after 18M consultations
- ByStartupStory | January 23, 2026
Doctors today are overwhelmed by the vast amount of medical information. New studies, updated treatment guidelines, and evolving clinical standards are published daily.
Keeping up is nearly impossible. By some estimates, a doctor would need most of their working day just to stay current, leaving less time to actually treat patients. That pressure is exactly what OpenEvidence aims to address.
The US company is building a system comprising multiple specialised AI models, each focused on a different area of medicine, working together to deliver accurate responses.
OpenEvidence just raised $250 million in a new Series D funding round, valuing the business at $12 billion. The round was co-led by Thrive Capital and DST Global, taking OpenEvidence’s total funding to nearly $700 million.
Previous investors include Sequoia, Google Ventures, Nvidia, Kleiner Perkins, Blackstone, Henry Kravis, Coatue, Conviction, ICONIQ, Greycroft, Breyer Capital, BOND, Craft Ventures, Goanna, Meritech, Alkeon, Mayo Clinic, and others, many of which also followed on in this round.
The fresh funding will be used to expand research and computing capacity.
Specialised AI-powered medical search engine
Founded by Daniel Nadler, OpenEvidence is a specialised AI-powered medical search engine that serves as a “brain extender” for clinicians by providing real-time, citation-linked answers synthesised exclusively from the world’s most trusted, peer-reviewed medical literature.
Instead of pulling answers from the open internet, it searches trusted, peer-reviewed medical journals and clinical guidelines. The idea is simple: give doctors fast, reliable answers they can trust while treating patients.
Consequently, the company has formal partnerships with leading medical organisations, including the New England Journal of Medicine, the American Medical Association, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and the American College of Cardiology.
Today, more than 40% of physicians in the US use OpenEvidence regularly, across over 10,000 hospitals and medical centres.
Nadler says the problem is not a lack of information but a lack of time: “Doctors want to provide the best care possible. But staying up to date on new evidence can take hours every day. Without help, important findings can be missed.”
What’s next?
In December alone, the platform supported around 18 million clinical consultations, up sharply from about 3 million per month a year earlier.
Currently, the platform is free for doctors and supported by advertising. Last year, more than 100 million Americans were treated by physicians using OpenEvidence, highlighting how quickly the tool has become part of everyday healthcare.
“OpenEvidence is effectively the default operating system of medical knowledge in the United States today,” said Kareem Zaki, partner at Thrive Capital. “We are thrilled to partner with them.”
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