Zócalo Health Raises $15 Million Series A to Scale Community-Based Care for High-Need Populations

Company partners with leading health plans, including Anthem and Health Net, to deliver a new model of care to millions of patients

KENMORE, Wash., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Zócalo Health, a tech-enabled, community-based primary care provider, today announced the close of $15 million in Series A funding, bringing the total raised to date to $22.75 million. The oversubscribed round was led by EO Ventures, with participation from Talipot and existing investors Vamos Ventures, Animo Ventures, Acumen America, Sorenson Ventures, BarronKent, and Kapor Center. The company will use the funds to accelerate nationwide expansion, scale its community-based workforce and deepen partnerships with health plans.

Funding comes as health plans face growing pressure to manage a small segment of members who drive a disproportionate share of healthcare costs. These patients, with complex medical, behavioral, and social needs, are historically difficult to engage in care. Zócalo Health is built specifically for this population, combining community-based care teams with virtual clinical services to drive sustained engagement, improve outcomes and reduce total cost of care within value-based frameworks.

"Zócalo Health has built a care model that performs in one of the most complex segments of healthcare," said Roland Fryer, Founding Partner of EO Ventures and Harvard Professor of Economics. "It is demonstrating that community-based care, paired with the right operating model can scale and deliver meaningful results."

Over the past year, Zócalo Health has demonstrated strong operating performance and early product-market fit. The company grew revenue approximately 4x year-over-year, expanded from two regional health plan partnerships in 2024 to more than a dozen in 2025, and is entering new markets across multiple states. The model has maintained high member retention, frequent monthly engagement and patient satisfaction scores that significantly exceed industry benchmarks.

A Model Built for Engagement and Retention

Zócalo Health is able to achieve outstanding outcomes for patients and health plans by organizing care around community health workers (CHWs), or promotoras de salud, who are embedded in the communities they serve. These teams are integrated with primary care providers, behavioral health clinicians, and care coordinators, enabling continuous engagement beyond traditional clinic settings. Notably, as patients have reported increased stress and anxiety, behavioral health has become a standout component of Zócalo Health's model. Screening, care coordination and ongoing support are embedded into care delivery workflows, ensuring that behavioral health needs are addressed alongside medical and social needs from the start.

This integrated approach is designed specifically for members who are historically difficult to reach and retain. By focusing on proactive outreach, frequent touchpoints and trust-based relationships,  Zócalo Health successfully drives adherence and reduces avoidable utilization.

"We built Zócalo Health to consistently engage the patients the system misses," said Erik Cardenas, Co-Founder and CEO. "Our model is designed around sustained engagement and outcomes. When you connect and engage RSS high-need members, you change both clinical outcomes and cost."

Technology as a Scale Lever

As much as Zócalo Health has invested in developing personal relationships within communities, its sophisticated technology platform underlies operations for seamless care delivery. Its platform leverages AI to support and extend the capacity of frontline teams, allowing them to serve more members without sacrificing quality, while also improving how patients connect to care and community resources. The platform equips members with better visibility into their coverage and eligibility as well; it supports them alongside their CHWs in navigating Medicaid redetermination and evolving eligibility requirements.

Aligned with Health Plans, Built for Scale

Zócalo Health partners with Medicaid managed care organizations, including Anthem Blue Cross and Health Net, to deliver services aligned with broader state-led initiatives such as CalAIM across California. These programs are shaping a new blueprint for whole-person, community-based care that can be extended to other states over time.

The company's growth has been driven by its ability to engage high-risk members, maintain strong retention, and operate with capital efficiency while expanding across geographies.

"Health plans are under pressure to deliver quality care for their most complex members, even as budgets tighten," said Mariza Hardin, Co-Founder of Zócalo Health. "We've built a model that meets that challenge directly. This next phase is about scaling with discipline while maintaining both stellar performance and our deeply personal, community-driven touch."

To learn more about Zócalo Health, the plans and segments it serves, and the services it offers, please visit www.zocalo.health.

About Zócalo Health

Zócalo Health is a community-based primary care provider delivering integrated medical, behavioral, and social care to underserved populations. The company partners with health plans to engage high-need members, improve outcomes, and reduce total cost of care through a model built on community health workers and technology-enabled care delivery.

SOURCE Zócalo Health