Preventing Denials Before They Happen

Insurance claim denials cost the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars every year, forcing providers to spend countless hours on paperwork, appeals, and lost revenue. Ember is tackling this problem head-on with an AI-native platform that prevents denials before they happen — and fights back when they do.

Co-founded by Charlene Wang and Warren Wang, Ember uses artificial intelligence to analyze claims before submission, flagging potential issues, assembling the right documentation, and ensuring payer requirements are met. The result is a 57% reduction in denial rates and 83% time savings for provider teams, freeing clinicians and administrators to focus on patient care instead of bureaucratic battles.

What They're Building

Ember's platform works across the full denial lifecycle. On the front end, it proactively reviews claims and prior authorizations to catch errors and missing documentation before submission. When denials do occur, Ember's AI assembles appeal packages by pulling together clinical notes, payer policies, and supporting evidence — dramatically accelerating what is traditionally a manual, weeks-long process.

Charlene Wang, formerly a product lead at Google Health where she worked on Nest and Fitbit health products, brings deep expertise in building consumer-grade experiences for complex healthcare workflows. The company emerged from Y Combinator and has quickly gained traction among provider organizations looking to recover lost revenue.

Why It Matters

With a $4.3 million seed round led by Nexus Venture Partners, Ember is positioned to transform how healthcare providers interact with insurance companies. As denial rates continue to climb industry-wide, an AI-first approach to prevention and appeals represents a massive opportunity to reduce administrative waste while improving provider cash flow and, ultimately, patient access to care.