Accolade
Accolade is a U.S. healthcare navigation and benefits platform serving self-insured employers, health plans, and individual members through AI-powered WayFinding technology, virtual primary care (PlushCare), expert second opinions (2nd.MD), and a Trusted Partner Ecosystem of specialized care providers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersPlymouth Meeting, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Accolade does
Accolade is a U.S.-based healthcare navigation and benefits platform serving self-insured employers, health plans, and individual members. Founded in 2007 and headquartered originally in Seattle, the company built a B2B2C model in which Care Advocates, nurses, and doctors help members understand benefits, find in-network providers, access virtual care, and obtain expert second opinions — services delivered through employer-sponsored programs, health plan partnerships (notably Blue Shield of California's Virtual Blue), and a direct-to-consumer channel via the PlushCare mobile app.
The core product is the Accolade Health Platform, anchored by the proprietary WayFinding AI navigation technology built on large language models with retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and the Databricks Mosaic AI lakehouse architecture. The platform integrates acquired assets PlushCare (virtual primary care, acquired 2021 for $450M) and 2nd.MD (expert second opinions, acquired 2021 for $460M), and bundles specialized Care Experiences for Pharmacy, Cancer, Surgery, and Weight Health, including GLP-1 management. A Trusted Partner Ecosystem (Noom, Oshi Health, Kindbody, Renalogic) extends the platform into obesity, GI, fertility, and kidney care. Mobile apps on iOS and Android and a member web portal complete the consumer-facing surface.
Accolade generates revenue primarily through per-member-per-month (PMPM) or per-employee-per-year (PEPY) subscription fees paid by self-insured employers and health plans, supplemented by PlushCare membership fees from Medicare-eligible consumers and integration/referral economics through the Trusted Partner Ecosystem. As of the April 2025 Transcarent merger, the combined entity serves over 20 million members across more than 1,700 employer and health plan clients, and Accolade now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary under Transcarent's umbrella following a $621 million all-cash take-private transaction at a 110% premium to its pre-announcement share price.
Accolade firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Accolade
- Legal name
- Accolade, Inc.
- Website
- https://accolade.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Accolade is a U.S. healthcare navigation and benefits platform serving self-insured employers, health plans, and individual members through AI-powered WayFinding technology, virtual primary care (PlushCare), expert second opinions (2nd.MD), and a Trusted Partner Ecosystem of specialized care providers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Accolade industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Healthcare Benefits Navigation and Virtual Care
- NAICS
- Health Care and Social Assistance (62), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Care Navigation, Advocacy & Benefits Guidance Platforms (HLALADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Employer/Member Engagement Platforms for Provider-Sponsored Plans (HLACAEAM), Membership/Subscription Concierge Virtual Care (HLALAAAH), Patient Engagement, Education & Messaging Platforms (portal/CRM integrated) (HLALABAJ)
Keywords
Where Accolade is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Plymouth Meeting
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Accolade business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Employer Health Benefits Subscription: B2B2C model where Accolade serves as an employee benefit provided by self-insured employers and health plans. Revenue derived from per-member-per-month (PMPM) fees or per-employee-per-year (PEPY) subscriptions.
- PlushCare Direct-to-Consumer: Virtual care services offered directly to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide through PlushCare platform. Includes membership fees and potentially visit-based fees.
- Trusted Partner Ecosystem: Integration fees or referral arrangements through ecosystem of health solutions partners including Noom, Oshi Health, Kindbody, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise employer health benefits |
| Subscription | Monthly | PlushCare direct-to-consumer virtual care |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Accolade product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Accolade provides an AI-powered personalized health and benefits navigation platform that helps employees and their families access care, understand benefits, and make informed healthcare decisions. The platform combines care advocacy with nurses and doctors, virtual primary care (PlushCare), expert second medical opinions (2nd.MD), and specialized Care Experiences (Pharmacy Care, Cancer Care, Surgery Care, Weight Health). It is delivered primarily as a B2B2C subscription to self-insured employers and health plans, with a direct-to-consumer PlushCare offering.
Product overview
Accolade operates as a unified health and care platform (now under Transcarent following the April 2025 merger) offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected services. The core Accolade Health Platform provides AI-powered benefits navigation and care advocacy, augmented by specialized Care Experiences including Pharmacy Care, Cancer Care, Surgery Care, and Weight Health. The platform integrates acquired brands PlushCare (virtual primary care) and 2nd.MD (second opinions), supported by a Trusted Partner Ecosystem connecting members to vetted specialists. Key features include the AI-powered WayFinding technology, AI Care Assistant, and mobile applications for both general member access and dedicated care services. Following the merger, the combined entity serves over 20 million members and 1,700+ employer and health plan clients with AI-driven care experiences spanning navigation, primary care, pharmacy, and specialized treatment pathways.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Accolade Care: Virtual primary and mental health care services
- 2nd.MD by Accolade
Products and services
- Accolade Health Platform
Companies that use Accolade
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Accolade technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
Accolade partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and flagship.
- Barreau du Québec Services CorporationsupportingStrategic partnership to modernize employee recognition in Quebec law firms through digital platform for automated recognition, rewards, and incentives. Note: This appears related to separate Accolad company in Canada.
- NoomcoreNoom joined Trusted Partner Ecosystem to provide employers with comprehensive obesity management solution combining Noom behavior change programs with Accolade's physician-led care. Integrates Noom Med, Noom Weight, and Noom Diabetes Prevention Program.
- KindbodycoreFertility and family-building services partner integrated into Trusted Partner Ecosystem providing comprehensive care across various conditions for employers and members.
- Oshi HealthcoreVirtual GI clinic partnered to expand access to whole-person digestive health care. GI diseases affect 70 million Americans annually, driving ~$136 billion in annual healthcare costs. Partnership adds to existing GI health offerings.
- RenalogicsupportingKidney disease management partner welcomed to Trusted Partner Ecosystem for comprehensive care navigation services.
- DatabrickscoreTechnology partnership using Databricks Mosaic AI to consolidate fragmented data into unified lakehouse architecture. Enabled LLM with RAG techniques for rapid responses to complex member inquiries with major productivity gains.
- Blue Shield of CaliforniaflagshipLaunched Virtual Blue virtual-first care program in 2023. Program serves 150,000+ members with 7-10% lower costs, $468 savings per member per year, 10%+ ER reduction, NPS of 89. Blue Shield expanding to Trio HMO plan.
- TeleMed2UcorePartnership with TeleMed2U for Blue Shield Virtual Blue virtual-first care program providing virtual healthcare services at no extra cost to members.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Accolade competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Included Health: Direct competitor offering employer-sponsored navigation plus virtual primary care and behavioral health. Closely comparable B2B2C model, target buyer (self-insured employers), and integrated clinical-plus-advocate approach.
- Quantum Health: Long-standing employer benefits navigation and care coordination provider. Comparable in serving self-insured employers with advocate-led navigation and clinical escalation pathways.
- Castlight Health: Enterprise health navigation platform for employer populations. Comparable in target market (self-insured employers) and benefits-navigation technology, though earlier-stage on clinical delivery.
Broad incumbents
- Teladoc Health: Large-scale virtual care incumbent with employer distribution. Overlaps Accolade on virtual primary care and behavioral health but is broader and less specialized in navigation advocacy.
- Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse): Enterprise wellbeing, navigation, and health benefits platform. Comparable buyer and overlapping navigation/wellbeing capabilities, positioned as a broader incumbent in the employer benefits stack.
- One Medical (Amazon): Membership-based primary care platform with employer and consumer distribution. Comparable on virtual primary care via PlushCare and on a membership subscription model, though anchored in brick-and-mortar clinics.
Emerging players
- Lyra Health: Employer-sponsored mental health benefits platform. Comparable buyer (employer HR/benefits) and overlapping behavioral-health offering, though narrower clinical scope than Accolade's whole-person navigation.
- Spring Health: Mental and family health benefits platform sold to employers. Comparable distribution and overlapping virtual care component, but focused on behavioral rather than full-stack navigation.
- Hinge Health: Digital musculoskeletal care platform sold to employers and health plans. Comparable buyer and emerging as a point-solution competitor for surgery/musculoskeletal spend that Accolade addresses through Surgery Care and 2nd.MD.
- Sword Health: AI-driven digital physical therapy and virtual care platform sold to employers and health plans. Comparable employer GTM and increasingly competing for the same navigation + MSK spend.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Accolade social profiles
Digital presenceAccolade compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Accolade financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Accolade leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Accolade subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Accolade funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds10 records
Investors16 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Accolade M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Accolade
What does Accolade do?
Accolade provides an AI-powered personalized health and benefits navigation platform that helps employees and their families access care, understand benefits, and make informed healthcare decisions. The platform combines care advocacy with nurses and doctors, virtual primary care (PlushCare), expert second medical opinions (2nd.MD), and specialized Care Experiences (Pharmacy Care, Cancer Care, Surgery Care, Weight Health). It is delivered primarily as a B2B2C subscription to self-insured employers and health plans, with a direct-to-consumer PlushCare offering.
Is Accolade a public or private company?
Accolade is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Accolade founded?
Accolade was founded in 2007. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Accolade based?
Accolade is headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, United States, in the North America region.
How does Accolade make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Employer Health Benefits Subscription is the primary driver. The others are plushCare Direct-to-Consumer and trusted Partner Ecosystem.
Who are Accolade's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Included Health, Quantum Health and Castlight Health. Broad incumbents are Teladoc Health, Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse) and One Medical (Amazon). Emerging players are Lyra Health, Spring Health, Hinge Health and Sword Health.
Does Accolade have an API?
No public API is recorded for Accolade.
What industry is Accolade in?
Accolade's product category is Healthcare Benefits Navigation and Virtual Care. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLALADAJ, Care Navigation, Advocacy & Benefits Guidance Platforms, with a secondary code of HLACAEAM, Employer/Member Engagement Platforms for Provider-Sponsored Plans. Its NAICS code is 62 and its SIC code is 7372.