The partnership lets people with autoimmune conditions use grocery stipends to buy clinically recommended foods through Instacart’s popular online grocery platform
Most people don’t think of grocery lists as healthcare. But for anyone living with an autoimmune disease, getting the right foods onto the table can be as important as filling a prescription and just as out of reach.
Now, WellTheory is turning the grocery list into an extension of care.
The San Francisco-based autoimmune care platform is teaming up with Instacart to give eligible members grocery stipends through Instacart Health’s Fresh Funds. The partnership gives nearly 300,000 patients the ability to buy anti-inflammatory groceries from local retailers using covered funds.
The news comes on the heels of WellTheory’s recent $14 million Series A round led by General Catalyst, a move it says will help expand its whole-person autoimmune care model across employers and health plans.
“Nutrition is at the core of WellTheory’s mission to reverse the autoimmune epidemic, yet patients face real obstacles in translating clinical nutrition guidance into their daily lives,” WellTheory co-founder and head of product Claire Rudolph said. “There’s so much friction — from knowing what foods to buy to affording and accessing them. Our partnership with Instacart removes these barriers, making it easier for our members to follow evidence-based dietary protocols and truly nourish their healing journeys.”
A growing number of organizations are leaning on nutrition programs to improve chronic disease outcomes, yet most patients are still left to navigate the cost and logistics on their own. As the sides point out, Instacart’s grocery delivery and pickup network reaches more than 98% of U.S. households, including 95% of those in food deserts and nearly all SNAP-enrolled households, offering nutrition support to patients who are often least able to access it.
“At Instacart, we believe food is one of the most powerful tools to support better health,” said Instacart vice president and general manager of health Sarah Mastrorocco. “Through Instacart Health and our consumer technology, we’re helping partners like WellTheory integrate nutrition directly into patient care – turning clinical guidance into action by making it easier for patients to access the right foods to support their health from the comfort of home.”
Instacart has been widening its foothold in wellness through Instacart Health. This year, it rolled out an AI-powered Smart Shop technology and item-level Health Tags so shoppers can easily find foods that align with specific dietary needs, and launched shoppable nutrition content with the American Diabetes Association.
Elsewhere in the space, Mealogic, a meal delivery platform that helps healthcare providers, wellness brands and clinical programs offer science-backed meals, raised $16 million this year. The platform supplies partners with nutritionally profiled meals tied to specific protocols, while managing production, delivery and support.
