Tortuga backs clinical training platform ACT to tackle US health worker shortage
What's the deal? Tortuga Growth PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → has made a growth equity investment in Advanced eClinical Training (ACT)Dealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a technology-enabled healthcare workforce platform, through its Tortuga Growth Partners Fund I. Financial terms were not disclosed.
What does ACT do? Founded in 2020 by Shay Safarzadeh and Shabnam Safarzadeh, the company runs online certification and career-readiness programs for allied health professionals entering frontline clinical roles. It has trained more than 10,000 professionals and built a network of over 1,000 healthcare partners, from physician practices to diagnostic laboratories.
Why now? The US healthcare workforce shortage is projected to exceed 3.2 million workers this year, according to the American Hospital Association. ACT is positioning itself to help close that gap.
What's the endgame? The capital will fund market expansion and technology aimed at improving student outcomes and workforce placement. Tortuga has also assembled a leadership and advisory group including managing member Ashray Prasad and operating partners Michael O'Neil, Walt Vester, and Marty DeMonte.
O'Neil, founder of patient engagement company Get Well, will serve as executive chair.
By the numbers: ACT reports a 98% National Healthcareer Association exam pass rate and was named by Forbes as the top online Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) certification program.
"Partnering with TGP gives us the strategic resources and shared conviction needed to accelerate our next phase of growth," said co-founder Shay Safarzadeh.
The signal: Investors are treating healthcare staffing shortages as a durable, structural opportunity. Prasad said ACT reflects Tortuga's aim of "partnering with exceptional founders solving large, enduring challenges in markets with strong long-term tailwinds."
Read more: citybiz.co
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