Andel

What Andel does

Andel (Andel Co-op, Inc.) is a New York-based healthcare startup founded in 2025 that operates a cooperative digital marketplace connecting employers and health plans directly to pharmaceutical manufacturers, bypassing traditional pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), rebates, and spread pricing. Its flagship offering is the Andel Discount Drug Program, which launched in March 2026 with Eli Lilly's Zepbound KwikPen as the inaugural medication and positions employer demand aggregation as the lever for unlocking manufacturer-direct cash pricing, with documented savings of up to 41% per fill (e.g., $414 vs. $699 list). The platform's underlying technology includes mobile applications on iOS and Android, a free Data Exchange API (OAuth 2.0, REST, with Express Scripts accumulator compatibility) for real-time purchase data interchange with plan sponsors and PBMs, and a Data Privacy Vault architecture supporting polymorphic encryption and zero-trust access controls, certified to SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS Level 1, HIPAA-ready, GDPR, and CCPA standards; a patent is pending on the cooperative marketplace technology. The business model combines transaction-based pay-per-fill revenue with a $9.99/month member subscription and employer contributions, distributed through direct enterprise field sales, broker and consultant channels, and an employee referral program, with initial launch in New York and a nationwide US expansion planned for early 2026. The company is led by founder and CEO Jay Bregman and has raised $4.5 million in seed funding from a syndicate including Bertelsmann Investments, City Light Capital, Houghton Street Ventures, Lightbank, Seedcamp, SemperVirens Venture Capital, and Springboard Health Angels.

Name

Andel

Legal name

Andel Co-op, Inc.

Website

https://andel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Andel operates a cooperative digital marketplace that gives employers and health plans direct manufacturer pricing on high-spend medications like Eli Lilly's Zepbound KwikPen, bypassing PBMs, rebates, and spread pricing through a pay-per-fill model, subscription, and employer contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmacy Benefits Management

NAICS

Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Health and Welfare Funds (525120)

SIC

Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Pharmacy Benefit (Rx) Coverage & PBM-Integrated Plans (FSAIAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

PBM Technology Platforms (ePA/eRx/Real-Time Benefit Tools) (HLAEAKAL), Pharmacy Benefit/Channel Services (PSAO, 340B Admin, Chargebacks/Rebates Ops) (CRAOAHAK), Pharmacy/Medication Management & Virtual MTM (Payer-Sponsored) (HLALACAK)

Keywords

• Pharmacy benefit management
• GLP-1 medication access
• Employer drug benefits
• Direct-to-employer pharmacy
• Cooperative drug purchasing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medication Fulfillment (Pay Per Fill): Plans pay only when members fill prescriptions. No complex setup or recurring per-member-per-month (PMPM) fees. Fixed contributions from plans and employer subsidies reduce member costs at point of sale. This is the primary revenue driver.
2. Monthly Membership Fee: $9.99/month per member access fee for GLP-1 medication access. This subscription-style model provides recurring revenue and covers platform access and support services.
3. Employer Contributions: Employers make direct contributions to reduce member medication costs. For example, $100 employer contribution on Zepbound KwikPen at 10mg or higher dosage, bringing member cost down to $414 from $699 list price.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Andel operates a cooperative digital marketplace that gives plan sponsors (employers and health plans) direct, manufacturer-priced access to high-spend medications, beginning with Eli Lilly's Zepbound KwikPen for GLP-1 obesity management. Plans and members access medications without going through traditional pharmacy benefit managers, rebates, or spread pricing, with plans paying only when members fill prescriptions and employer subsidies reducing out-of-pocket costs. The offering is supported by a HIPAA-compliant Data Exchange API, iOS/Android mobile apps, end-to-end fulfillment with UPS next-day shipping, and a Data Privacy Vault for sensitive data protection.

Product overview

Andel is a cooperative digital marketplace offering employer-sponsored medication access programs. The core product is the Andel Discount Drug Program, which enables plan sponsors to provide affordable access to high-spend medications through direct manufacturer pricing, bypassing traditional PBMs. The platform features the Data Exchange API for real-time integration with plans and PBMs, the Andel mobile app for members, and exclusively offers Eli Lilly's Zepbound KwikPen for GLP-1 obesity management. Pricing model includes direct manufacturer pricing, pay-per-fill, no PMPM fees, and employer subsidies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Andel Discount Drug Program A cooperative marketplace platform providing plan sponsors (employers and health plans) affordable access to high-spend medications through direct manufacturer pricing, bypassing traditional pharmacy benefit managers, rebates, and spread pricing. Features a pay-per-fill model, fixed employer contributions, no prior authorizations or step therapy, real-time API integration, and full data visibility.
• Zepbound KwikPen (tirzepatide) FDA-approved multi-dose prefilled GLP-1 pen for obesity management offered through Andel's platform, available in six dosages (2.5mg to 15mg) with each KwikPen containing four weekly injections. Priced starting at $414 per fill with $100 employer contribution (vs. $699 standard member cost), shipped UPS next-day.
• Andel Data Exchange API RESTful API that exposes member purchase events (member_id, plan_id, prescriber_spi, NDC, member purchase amounts, plan contributions) to authorized plans and PBMs for real-time data interchange. Supports webhook subscriptions and ESI CDH 1500-byte accumulator protocol for Express Scripts compatibility.
• Andel Mobile App Mobile application available on iOS and Android that gives members access to discounted GLP-1 medications through their employer's Andel benefit, with automated prescription management, refill handling, and end-to-end delivery tracking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 41% savings on GLP-1 medications compared to traditional pharmacy channels
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Eli LillyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2026Eli Lilly is the exclusive pharmaceutical manufacturer partner for Andel's initial medication platform. Andel consolidates employer demand to bypass traditional insurance channels and access Eli Lilly's Zepbound KwikPen at cash prices without PBM or Third Party Administrator involvement. This collaboration enables Andel to offer manufacturer-direct pricing on GLP-1 obesity management medications.
• UPScoreOthersUPS provides next-day shipping for medication delivery to members. All medication orders include UPS next-day shipping as part of the fulfillment service.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RxBenefits: RxBenefits is a pharmacy benefits consultant/broker helping employers and third-party administrators optimize pharmacy spend. It works through the broker channel — a distribution lever Andel also relies on — to address rising specialty drug costs.
• Capital Rx: Capital Rx is a health technology company building a transparent pharmacy benefit management platform (Judi). It targets the same PBM-replacement opportunity as Andel but serves employers and health plans with full PBM services rather than a single-therapeutic cooperative.
• Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: Cost Plus Drugs is a direct-to-consumer online pharmacy that bypasses PBMs by sourcing medications at manufacturer cost plus a transparent markup. Like Andel, it offers transparent cash-pay pricing and an alternative to traditional pharmacy benefit channels.
• GoodRx: GoodRx is a consumer-facing prescription discount platform offering cash-pay pricing and manufacturer-direct programs (including GLP-1 savings). It overlaps with Andel's mission of providing affordable cash-pay access to brand-name medications outside insurance.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Pharmacy: Amazon Pharmacy is a consumer-facing online pharmacy offering transparent pricing, integration with Prime, and direct fulfillment. It competes in the same cash-pay medication access space as Andel, with materially larger logistics and technology infrastructure.
• Optum Rx: Optum Rx is the largest U.S. PBM, managing pharmacy benefits for tens of millions of Americans. It is the incumbent whose economics Andel is explicitly trying to disintermediate and is the most likely source of competitive counter-pressure.
• LillyDirect: Eli Lilly's own direct-to-consumer platform offering Zepbound and other Lilly medications at cash prices. LillyDirect is Andel's manufacturer partner's competing direct channel, targeting the same GLP-1 demand via a manufacturer-owned route.
• Express Scripts: Express Scripts (Cigna-owned) is one of the three largest U.S. PBMs. Andel's Data Exchange API is explicitly designed to be ESI-compatible (CDH 1500-byte accumulator protocol), illustrating Express Scripts' centrality to the employer plan ecosystem Andel is entering.

Emerging players

• Embarc Benefit Technologies: Embarc is a health benefits technology platform focused on point-of-sale pharmacy discounts for self-funded employer plans. It targets the same employer benefit-decision-maker as Andel and offers a competing approach to pharmacy cost reduction.
• Virta Health: Virta Health is a digital health company addressing type 2 diabetes and obesity through nutrition and lifestyle interventions, sometimes partnering with employers on GLP-1 spend. It overlaps with Andel on employer-purchaser demand for cost-effective obesity management.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Andel