Problem

Kivo Health addresses the access gap in pulmonary rehabilitation for people with chronic lung disease, especially COPD. Chronic lung disease affects an estimated 16 million people in the U.S., yet only about 3% of eligible patients receive pulmonary rehabilitation because they live too far from a center or cannot travel there without help. The economic pain is substantial: recurrent exacerbations and hospitalizations drive roughly $50 billion in annual spending, while pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce hospital bed-days by 62% and save payers an estimated $6,000–$10,000 per patient. The central use case is a high-risk or homebound COPD patient receiving effective rehabilitation at home before symptoms escalate into an emergency-room visit or hospitalization.

For health plans, COPD is a particularly expensive population. Kivo says high-risk COPD members cost Medicare Advantage plans $29,564 per member per year, or 2.9 times the cost of members without COPD, creating a strong incentive to improve adherence, reduce flare-ups, and avoid unnecessary utilization.

Product / Service

Kivo provides an AI-powered, insurance-covered virtual pulmonary rehabilitation and chronic-care program delivered to the patient’s home. Its current program runs for nine weeks, with two live video sessions per week led by licensed respiratory therapists in small groups. Patients receive a connected kit containing a tablet, cellular connectivity, a pulse oximeter, and exercise equipment; they begin with a one-on-one assessment and personalized care plan, then practice breathing techniques, complete tailored exercises, learn COPD self-management and inhaler technique, and receive ongoing coaching and community support.

The model combines clinical care, remote monitoring, education, and convenience: patients do not need to own a tablet, have Wi-Fi, or travel to a rehabilitation center. Kivo reports clinically meaningful improvements among engaged participants, including a 24% improvement in symptoms, 34% improvement in physical activity, and 25% improvement in mood, alongside 83% median attendance. The intended benefits are easier breathing, greater energy and functional capacity, fewer flare-ups, better quality of life, and fewer hospital stays.

Market

Kivo competes in telehealth, digital health, and virtual chronic-disease management, with a specialized focus on pulmonary rehabilitation and COPD care for health plans, providers, and patients. The closest comparables identified in the research are Wellinks, which offers personalized virtual COPD care and pulmonary rehabilitation; Kaia Health, which offers a COPD pulmonary-rehabilitation digital therapeutic; and Propeller, which provides connected medication and symptom monitoring for asthma and COPD. Traditional in-person pulmonary rehabilitation is also a substitute, while Kivo’s differentiation is its live therapist-led program combined with a shipped connected kit and a payer-oriented cost-reduction proposition.

The available evidence indicates that Kivo is commercial-stage rather than pre-revenue. The company was founded in 2021, joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2023 cohort, says that thousands of people have used its program, and reports 83% program completion or median attendance alongside a claimed 3.1x health-plan ROI. Its partnership activity includes Stanford Health Care, Priority Health, and an April 2026 launch with Optum Arcadia for California patients. A third-party company profile reported $2.1 million in 2024 revenue, although the company’s public materials emphasize projected savings and reported outcomes rather than audited financials.