Startup profile · funding coverage

Acclinate

Digital health equity platform using NOWINCLUDED community engagement and AI to improve clinical trial diversity.

Stage

series a

Status

private

Coverage

full

Overview

Acclinate helps life-sciences sponsors recruit and retain more representative clinical trial participants. Co-founded in 2020 by Del Smith and Tiffany Whitlow, the company combines its NOWINCLUDED community platform — culturally relevant health education and research opportunities for underrepresented populations — with AI/ML tools (including its e-DICT platform) that help sponsors plan and run more inclusive studies. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Acclinate closed a $7M Series A in May 2024 led by Cencora Ventures, with Labcorp and Latimer Ventures participating. Earlier investors include Birmingham-based 450 Ventures.

Why Acclinate is interesting

FDA and pharma pressure on trial diversity created a commercial market Acclinate attacks with a community product (NOWINCLUDED) plus AI recruitment tech — not another patient-finder agency. Birmingham HQ; Series A led by a drug-distribution giant’s venture arm.

Product & use cases

Acclinate sells sponsors access to engaged communities via NOWINCLUDED and AI-assisted tools that surface representative cohorts, reduce recruitment friction, and support more inclusive protocol planning.

Pharma and biotech sponsors improving racial and ethnic representation in trials
CROs and sites needing community-trusted outreach beyond traditional recruitment vendors
Sponsors planning future studies with predictive diversity insights

Key facts

Series A (May 2024): $7M led by Cencora Ventures; Labcorp and Latimer Ventures participated
NOWINCLUDED community platform plus e-DICT AI for clinical trial diversity
HQ Birmingham, AL; founded 2020 by Del Smith and Tiffany Whitlow
Seed backing includes Birmingham corporate VC 450 Ventures

Fundraising history

Series A

2024-05 $7M

Cencora Ventures (lead)
Labcorp (participant)
Latimer Ventures (participant)

Source: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/acclinate-raises-7m-in-series-a-funding-to-accelerate-health-equity-revolution-302138578.html

Seed

450 Ventures (participant)

Investors in our directory

Funds linked from Acclinate's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.

450 Ventures

Competitive landscape

Edge: Pairs always-on community trust (NOWINCLUDED) with AI recruitment analytics — harder for pure staffing/recruitment shops to copy than a database alone.

Traditional patient recruitment agencies incumbent

Often transactional enrollment; less community ownership.
Trial matching marketplaces adjacent

Match patients to trials; may lack deep community engagement layer.

Industries

Healthtech

FAQs about Acclinate

Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.

Acclinate helps sponsors diversify clinical trials using its NOWINCLUDED community platform and AI tools that support inclusive recruitment and study planning.

Birmingham, AL.

2020, by Del Smith and Tiffany Whitlow.

Acclinate’s community product that offers culturally relevant health education and research opportunities to underrepresented populations — the trust layer behind trial engagement.

$7M in May 2024, led by Cencora Ventures with Labcorp and Latimer Ventures participating.

Cencora Ventures (formerly associated with AmerisourceBergen’s venture arm).

Yes — seed investors include 450 Ventures (/fund/450-ventures), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s corporate venture arm.

Series A; private company.

Life-sciences sponsors and partners needing more representative trial enrollment — company materials cite large global pharmaceutical clients.

Acclinate emphasizes ongoing community engagement plus predictive AI, not only placing patients into a single study.

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Last updated: 2026-07-26

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