careCycle

What do they actually do

careCycle provides voice AI “teams” for Medicare agencies. Their software answers calls 24/7, runs routine touchpoints like welcome calls, reminders, and renewals, and keeps a memory of each member. When a situation requires a human, it pre‑screens and then warm‑transfers to a licensed agent with context so the agent can pick up quickly (homepage, Sales Suite, Retention Suite, Revenue Suite).

In practice, careCycle integrates with an agency’s call center and CRM tools, logs interactions, shows transfer/conversion metrics, and runs automated campaigns aimed at improving effectuation and retention. Onboarding often includes a forward‑deployed engineer to wire up call routing and data connections, which makes it a mix of software and implementation support today (homepage, Retention Suite, Revenue Suite, press coverage). The company publicly emphasizes compliance guardrails and escalation to licensed agents when needed (blog).

careCycle cites early, company‑reported outcomes like a 5x after‑hours conversion lift and a 37% improvement in 90‑day retention on its YC profile, and has shared early traction figures in press/LinkedIn posts (YC profile, press/LinkedIn).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Independent Medicare broker / small agency owners: They have limited staff to answer member calls and run renewal/outreach, so after‑hours leads and routine questions go unanswered, hurting conversions and member satisfaction.
• Call‑center / operations managers at mid‑sized agencies: Licensed agents spend time on repetitive calls (welcome, benefits, reminders), raising staffing costs and delaying complex cases that need licensed attention.
• Sales directors or enrollment teams: They lose or fail to qualify leads outside business hours and need faster pre‑screening and warm transfers to licensed agents to close enrollments.
• IT/implementation leads at agencies or platforms: Connecting voice, CRM, and contact‑center systems is hands‑on and slow today, requiring custom integrations and ongoing support.
• Compliance, risk, and quality assurance teams: They require clear transparency and safe escalation to licensed agents to meet Medicare rules and protect seniors, and need auditable controls over scripts and workflows.

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Founder‑led, hands‑on pilots via YC and broker networks; run managed rollouts with explicit goals (e.g., after‑hours conversion lift) and turn results into case studies and referrals.
• First 50: Standardize a short, low‑friction paid pilot sold by a small outbound team; formalize customer referral incentives and an onboarding kit that reduces bespoke engineering; run monthly demos/webinars for ops and sales leaders.
• First 100: Ship native integrations and a self‑serve onboarding path for smaller agencies; launch a reseller/channel program with CCaaS integrators and broker networks; add inside sales, a success playbook, and compliance collateral to scale without founder involvement.

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

There are roughly 69 million people enrolled in Medicare, with about half in Medicare Advantage and other plans—segments that lean heavily on brokers and e‑brokers for enrollment and member engagement (CMS Medicare Monthly Enrollment, McKinsey on broker channels).

Bottom-up calculation:

Assuming ~10,000 Medicare‑selling agencies are targetable and an average annual contract of ~$20,000 across careCycle’s suites (mix of small, mid, and a handful of large accounts), TAM would be about $200M/year in the U.S.

Assumptions:

• ~10,000 U.S. agencies/brokers actively sell Medicare (from small independents to mid‑sized call centers).
• Blended average contract value of ~$20k/year across Sales/Revenue/Retention suites (small accounts <$10k; mid‑market $25–75k; a few large $200k+).
• Scope limited to U.S. agencies (excludes payer‑direct deals and international).

Who are some of their notable competitors

• PolyAI: Voice AI for customer service. Competes on natural‑sounding voice bots, call routing, and integrations that agencies could use for member calls.
• Hyro: Conversational AI for healthcare contact centers. Offers voice and chat automation with healthcare‑specific workflows and compliance posture.
• Replicant: Autonomous contact center voice agents across industries, including insurance and healthcare, focused on resolving routine calls without human agents.
• Kore.ai: Enterprise conversational AI platform (voice, chat, agent assist) with healthcare customers; overlaps on IVA, routing, and integration tooling.
• Five9 (IVA): CCaaS platform with Intelligent Virtual Agent and automation features; many agencies already use CCaaS and can build similar self‑service workflows.