Forward, Startup Behind ‘Doctor in Box’ Healthcare Modules, to Shut Down

Forward, a startup that raised $400 million to operate artificial intelligence-powered “doctor in a box” healthcare stations, is shutting down effective Tuesday, according to a person close to the company. All of its nearly 200 employees will lose their jobs, the person said.

The San Francisco startup, started in 2017 by former Google employee Adrian Aoun, wanted to make healthcare visits more accessible with staffed clinics and automatic services. It introduced sleek, tech-heavy CarePod modules and raised money from a blue-chip roster of investors, including Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins chair John Doerr, reaching a $1 billion valuation in 2021.