Carecubes Closes $6.5 Million Series A to Transform Infectious Disease Response

Backed by leaders from Oscar Health, Aetna, Cardinal Health, Medtronic, SEIU, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center

Carecube purchased by health systems in 36 communities across 13 states and territories

ARLINGTON, Va., March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Carecubes, which is transforming infectious disease response through its FDA 510(k)-cleared isolation unit—built for rapid deployment wherever care is needed—today announced the close of its $6.5 million Series A funding round, with backing from prominent leaders in healthcare and the public sector.

The Series A marks a major milestone toward Carecubes' mission of eliminating infectious disease transmission in healthcare settings. The Carecube flips the traditional model of infection control. Instead of patients waiting alone behind closed doors, separated from loved ones, and receiving less frequent visits from doctors and nurses due to PPE constraints, the Carecube isolates the pathogen—allowing for exceptional, safe, and compassionate care in any setting.

Carecubes also announced today that the Carecube has been purchased by hospitals, clinics, and emergency response systems in more than 36 communities across 13 states and territories. Carecubes' initial customers include Bellevue Hospital of NYC Health+Hospitals; Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center; Sacramento County Public Health; Cooper University Health Care; Maryland Hospital Association; Metro Health & Medical Preparedness Coalition of Minnesota; and other leading hospital systems.

Carecubes is led by CEO Alex Laskey, who previously founded and took public the energy software company Opower, and co-founder Saul Griffith, a MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient and founder of Otherlab. Investors in the Series A include:

• Mark Bertolini — CEO of Oscar Health and former CEO of Aetna
• Bill Hawkins — former CEO of Medtronic
• Henrietta Fore — former USAID Administrator
• Betsy Cohen — acclaimed investor and operator
• Schooner Capital
• Lifeforce Capital
• CQuence Health

Prominent board members and advisors include:

• Mike Kaufmann — former CEO of Cardinal Health
• Mike Wargo — a national leader in healthcare
• Andy Stern — former Chairman of SEIU
• Joe Grogan — former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council

"We started Carecubes to solve a long-standing failure in healthcare: the idea that we must choose between protecting providers and delivering quality care to patients," said Alex Laskey, CEO of Carecubes. "With the close of our Series A and the extraordinary support from our partners and investors, we're proving that it's possible to do both—safely, compassionately, and at scale."

The Carecube was initially funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and further supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It was developed in partnership with infectious disease experts at the University of Nebraska Medical Center—one of the nation's leading infectious disease institutions.

"Carecubes can help prevent small outbreaks from becoming large ones, and its development is a testament to what's possible when public universities and private partners work together," said Dr. Dele Davies, Interim Chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Manufactured in Minnesota with key suppliers and partners in North Carolina, Connecticut, California, and Ohio, the Carecube is designed to save lives in every corner of the globe.

"Carecubes is exactly the kind of high-impact innovation our healthcare system needs—delivering an affordable, scalable technology to strengthen infectious disease response and protect patients," said Mark Bertolini, CEO of Oscar Health. "I'm proud to invest in Carecubes and work with its exceptional team and partners on this critical work."

America's healthcare system is easily strained, even by modest surges in infectious disease. In recent years, we have seen emergency rooms fill up, staff burn out, and vulnerable patients left isolated. Yet hospitals—especially in rural and under-resourced areas—still lack scalable tools to manage airborne infections like measles, RSV, TB, and emerging threats. Governments, too, remain underprepared to expand isolation capacity quickly in the face of future outbreaks.

Carecubes is solving these issues head-on—the isolation units can be deployed in minutes and allow bedside care while protecting staff and patients, minimizing PPE use, freeing up scarce negative pressure rooms, improving throughput, and reducing waste and staffing costs.

"With the Carecube, a family member can look through the clear walls, touch their loved one through a protective sleeve, and know they are still present," said Henrietta Fore, former Executive Director of UNICEF and former Administrator of USAID. "That simple act of connection matters everywhere, whether in the Democratic Republic of Congo, rural Nebraska, or New York City."

"Carecubes stands out because it is unique, it meets an urgent need, and it improves both provider safety and patient experience," said Mike Kaufmann, former CEO of Cardinal Health. "From my perspective as someone who ran one of the largest healthcare supply chain companies in the world, what excites me most is the Carecubes' potential for scale." 

About Carecubes

Carecubes is a healthcare solutions company dedicated to eliminating infectious disease transmission in healthcare settings. The Carecube ISTARI is an FDA 510(k)-approved isolation unit built for rapid deployment wherever care is needed. It flips the traditional model of infection control: instead of patients waiting alone behind closed doors, separated from loved ones, and receiving less frequent visits from doctors and nurses due to PPE constraints, the Carecube isolates the pathogen—allowing for exceptional, safe, and compassionate care in any setting.

The Carecube was designed and built in close partnership with the University of Nebraska's Global Center for Health Security and the world's leading infectious disease doctors. Its development was funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and further supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), and it has been granted permanent 510(k) authorization from the FDA.

SOURCE Carecubes