HealthTech

Healthtech Startup Harnesses Technology To Elevate Recovery Services; Interview With Daniel Larson, CEO of Kyros

Healthtech Startup Kyros

Kyros is a first of its kind digital platform for the recovery community, which is harnessing the power of technology to tackle the epidemic of substance use disorder. Kyros helps those in recovery access a network of treatment providers while also helping them stay on track with tailored support. Their services also offer support for organizations and specialists dedicating their time to helping people manage their recovery. Founder and CEO Daniel Larson, will be sharing more details with us in this interview with TechBullion.

Please tell us about yourself and how Kyros came about?

I worked in technology and labor force solutions for the bulk of my 15-year career.  I built labor marketplaces using technology to maximize efficiencies in different sectors. I was also struggling with substance use disorder. I started my own recovery journey in 2019 and saw an opportunity to take the skill sets that I’d learned from being at these disruptive labor platforms and bring them into an industry underserved by technology – addiction treatment. Kyros grew organically from personal and professional experience. During my recovery journey I saw people stumble because of the administrative obstacles of finding support services. I realized there was a desperate need for improvement within the system and that technology could be the solution for coordinating this. 

What is Kyros and what unique solutions are you providing?

Kyros is a labor marketplace that provides business process outsourcing services for professionals in organizations in the substance use space. Between our platform and the partnerships, we have, we provide a turnkey infrastructure for qualified professionals in substance use disorder to instantly go into private practice and bill insurance payers for services.

What inspired the creation of Kyros Care, and what is your mission and vision for this platform?

I was inspired by my own personal experience in the treatment industry, and the experiences those around me have had. This industry is severely underserved by technology, and in need of a tech solution so it can serve more people struggling with substance use disorder. Kyros’s mission is to expand and streamline access to recovery services and providers through a centralized, digital platform–a marketplace. We see Kyros increasing positive recovery outcomes through the utilization of technology to connect providers, organizations and clients. 

Why did Kyros launch in Minnesota? Are your plans to expand to other cities?

I’m Minnesota born and raised, and this is a community that I care about immensely. It is also a population that has been ravaged by the drug and alcohol epidemic, like so many others in recent years. I couldn’t think of a better place to start. Minnesota is also an epicenter for addiction treatment and digital health technology and is even called “the medical alley for healthcare technology”. We plan to expand into 10 new states by June 2023.

Tell us more about the latest health tech trends and level of market demand for a sobriety management platform for the recovery community?

Right now, we’re seeing over 12,000 open positions in our field with very few people qualified to fill them. There has been a significant amount of professional attrition in the healthcare workforce in recent years, due to the pandemic and other factors. Add to that the immense strain put on the system from the opioid epidemic and there are clearly too many people needing services and too few professionals helping them. This unfortunate perfect storm makes the substance use disorder industry ripe for disruptive innovation. Similar to other industries that have utilized tech in recent years (ie. transportation, food delivery etc.) the substance use disorder industry is in need of technology support to grow and support more people in recovery.  Add to this need, the currently robust freelance economy filled with individuals working when they want, how they want, and with whom they can best help, and we have a great labor force to tap into with Kyros. 

Could you give us a walkthrough of the Kyros features and ecosystem and how it works?

Kyros walks providers through an onboarding process that verifies their credentials, gives them training, and ensures that they’re qualified to work with clients. On the other end it walks clients through insurance verification, Medicaid setup, assessments and identifies individuals as people needing services, and in turn provides them access to those services and service providers. Kyros works to pair people up that are similar in background and demographics, offering the highest opportunities for success by tailoring each individual’s experience to suit their needs. We partner agnostically with any organization that works within the substance use disorder or mental health field in order to support our clients. 

Who benefits the most from the Kyros sobriety management platform, treatment providers or individuals, any success stories you would like to share with us?

We see Kyros as a win/win for both parties because clients get the help they need, and providers are connected to clients without having to worry about billing and back-end logistics. There is nothing more frustrating for providers than spending time on administration tasks and nothing more frustrating for individuals than not having access to help. Kyros provides the solution to both of these problems. 

What are the economic and individual impacts of the substance use disorder epidemic, what further solutions can help mitigate this and help those in recovery?

There are extreme economic impacts of the substance use disorder industry. Annual economic impact is over a trillion dollars due to loss of expenses, incarceration, law enforcement costs, drug and addiction practices etc. There is a huge focus on punitive measures rather than curing people of the substance use disorder, which is solving the actual problem. The drug and alcohol crisis in the US is not a war we need to fight as we have been but rather an illness we need to treat.

What are you currently working on at Kyros and what is next on your future road map?

At Kyros we’re working on expanding our services across the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria in order to offer new lines of service such as Medically Assisted Treatment and tailored mental health care. We do this so we can refer clients to the appropriate level of care and have the capacity to help them with the same ready access to resources and professionals no matter what the service line is.We are also planning to expand to 10 new states by June of 2023

Beside yourself who is the brains behind this platform, any available opportunities for partnerships or investors at Kyros to support you on this mission?

We are currently preparing for Series A fundraise for close partnerships and investors, and we’re always looking for more individuals and organizations that align with our mission and values. At Kyros we want to work with people that share our ultimate vision- which is to help people. 

For more information, visit the website: https://www.kyros.care/

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