Latest news with #Function
Time Magazine
a day ago
- Health
- Time Magazine
Function Health CEO Jonathan Swerdlin Is Trying to Change the Way We Manage Our Wellbeing
When Jonathan Swerdlin tells you he pours his blood, sweat, and tears into his work, he means it more literally than most company leaders. Swerdlin is the CEO and co-founder of Function Health, a fast-growing personalized health testing platform that launched in 2023. I, too, have given the company dozens of vials of my blood: When I found out about Function last year, I hadn't been to the doctor in about a decade (a shameful confession for a health journalist). I was tired of what felt like a broken health-care system, but I knew I needed a check-up, so I signed up for Function, which costs $499 per year and includes two rounds of blood testing. First, you get an initial assessment with 160 lab tests, and then three to six months later, a follow-up including 60-plus retests to see how your numbers are changing. While no treatment regimen is provided based on results, clients receive personalized written insights from Function's team of clinicians. 'We, previous to this, knew less about our bodies than we knew about our cars. And Function has changed that,' Swerdlin says. 'Nobody can say in 2025 that they have no way to understand what's happening inside their body. By taking control today, you're taking control of the future. Data over time—and it's so important that it's done over time—can help ensure you're not missing anything that could materially impact your life.' Function—which is backed by big-name investors like Matt Damon, Zac Efron, Pedro Pascal, and Jay Shetty—now has hundreds of thousands of paying members. It's at the forefront of a growing trend of companies that aim to provide personalized insights to people tired of the traditional health care system. The idea is that, instead of waiting around for a doctor to figure out something is acutely wrong with you, you find out early enough to prevent it from becoming a bull-blown medical crisis. TIME spoke to Swerdlin in May about how Function, one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2025, is expanding and why the health care industry is so overdue for innovation. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. What inspired you to start Function Health, and what keeps you motivated to run this company every day? I had health issues when I was young, so I learned very early about the shortcomings of what health care can actually deliver. Fast forward, and my father beat prostate cancer, so I witnessed the power of medicine. I was caught between understanding the shortcomings of health care and the administration of it, and yet being in incredible admiration of the power of medicine. That sparked my own interest in taking control of my health, and I spent years and tens of thousands of dollars cobbling together what is mostly an analog version of what Function delivers today. It became clear to me that it wasn't a way to hack the system—it was actually the future of the way that people manage their lifelong health. It gave me so much agency and so much power that I felt like, I wish everybody could have this. I wish my whole family could have this; I wish my friends could have this, because I care about their life, and I want them to be able to benefit from this. Nobody knows what's happening inside their body, yet the objective should be to need less health care and to have more life. What do you think are the biggest challenges and shortcomings right now in the traditional health care system? Health care is incomplete. What we expect to get from health care, it is unable to meet. Health care is not about helping you manage your lifelong health—it's about solving problems. We've been missing any kind of platform or system that can help people manage their lifelong health outside of acute issues. And so what we need is a way to be on top of our heart, our liver, our kidneys, our thyroid, our hormones, and to always know what's going on and what we can be doing, outside of pharmaceutical interventions, to be healthier. What is a day in your life as CEO of Function Health like? I have one focus, which is to do every single thing in my power to make sure our members can live 100 healthy years. That's my job every day, so what do I actually tangibly do? I spend my mornings, first, taking care of my health: I exercise, I eat well, I hydrate, I sleep, I do those things that one needs to do. Once I've taken care of my health, I'll typically spend a lot of time understanding what's new in the landscape, what kind of research has been coming out, and what's the latest science. I have to keep on top of that every day. I also work with the team across all facets of the business, from how we tell our story, to where we are in engineering—as well as working diligently on expansion of the product. Speaking of staying on top of the science: Do you have a favorite way to do that? Well, I have a lot of help. I have a team that helps me do that; they surface and curate things that are coming up that are important in science and technology. But I also go digging around journals myself, and I work on keeping up with AI—which is moving at a breakneck pace. It's almost a job unto itself. You've previously remarked how cool it is that people finally care about health as a space in which to build a revolution. Has health care been pretty stagnant until now? Health care has largely seen incremental changes in mostly institutional systems, and this generation is seeing exponential change. The greatest problem that we have is that 40% of premature deaths are preventable. All the suffering that's attached to that—you can't quantify it. People are suffering. It is the greatest problem that we can address. It's a tangible problem, it's solvable, it's deeply impactful, and it sits inside of a tremendous market. There's $7 trillion spent across health and wellness. It's always been a bespoke and artisanal service, and it's moving from that to an engineered technology product model—which makes the ability to be healthy radically deflationary, and radically more accessible. What's the greatest challenge of running a company like Function Health? The biggest challenge is that we're racing against time to make sure that any person in the world gets access to this, and that means scaling up things that have previously not been scaled up. Function recently acquired Ezra and introduced a $499 full-body MRI scan. Why are you excited about this, and what will it bring to the company? Having a 360-degree perspective of your body has been difficult and very expensive. It takes a lot of time, traditionally, and it's hard to find. With this acquisition, we're introducing an FDA-cleared scan that AI brings from 60 minutes down to 22 minutes, and from $1,500 down to $499. By making it this affordable, this accessible, and this convenient and fast, we're able to make [it] a thing that people do annually—rather than something available to only a select few. People who get labs and scans done annually have, for the first time, a full 360-degree baseline of what's happening inside their body so they can fully understand how it's changing over time. You need to be able to detect changes, because changes are the best indicator of when something is going wrong. You've also partnered with companies like Equinox, Thrive Global, and GRAIL. What makes a potential partner a good fit? Our partners are committed to helping people achieve their best health. Equinox, for example, is clearly committed to making sure people are being healthy, because the whole purpose of their business is to get people to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle. So it's a natural mission alignment. The No. 1 thing is mission alignment, and then, does it actually make sense from a scale perspective? We think in the millions and billions. This is an 8 billion-person problem we're solving. Can you talk more about the way you prioritize accessibility–especially when good health care is out of reach for so many people? I'm so passionate about this. Function is $1.37 per day. With our partnership with Quest Diagnostics, we're available in over 2,200 locations around the country. It's also very convenient. The actual time it takes for a blood draw and urine collection is 3 to 5 minutes. It is the smallest investment of time, and $1.37 per day, to be on top of your health. We have people using Function in every state, including places like Mississippi and Alabama, where traditionally they weren't really adopters and are known for having medical deserts. We're creating health in what were previously medical deserts. I get the sense that running Function feels more like a calling to you than work. Is that right? Our life expectancy has flatlined. We are not getting healthier as a country. We can solve those problems—but upstream, we're not actually getting to the root of the issue. I wake up in the morning with the clear directive to help people not suffer or die of preventable death, and that's what drives me. That's what gets me to work. Running any company is hard. I can't imagine not fully, 100% believing in what you're doing, and caring about it with every fiber of your being. If you're going to be an entrepreneur, you're going to build something in the world, make sure it's actually solving a problem you can care about for the rest of your life. And this is my life's work.
Hans India
23-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Cyberabad police host 4-day health camp for staff
Hyderabad: A four-day free medical health camp has commenced at the Cyberabad Commissionerate Headquarters, aimed at promoting preventative healthcare and ensuring the well-being of its staff. The initiative is a collaborative effort between Cyberabad Police, the Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC), Grace Cancer Foundation, and Pristine Eye Vision Foundation. Running from 22 to 25 July, the camp is exclusively for the 685 personnel of the Cyberabad Police Motor Transport Section. Blood sample collection is being conducted between 7 am and 9 am, with general health check-ups from 10 am to 4 pm throughout the four days. A comprehensive range of free medical services are on offer. These include measurements for height, weight, BMI, and blood pressure, alongside various blood tests such as Diabetes (FBS, HbA1c), Lipid Profile, Thyroid Function Tests (T3, T4, TSH), and Serum Creatinine. Eye examinations and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) screenings are also integral to the evaluation. Following assessments, appropriate medications are being recommended, and referrals to hospitals are being arranged where necessary. This medical drive underscores the commitment of SCSC and its healthcare partners to the health and safety of police personnel. Joint CP Cyberabad GajaraoBhupal, visited the camp and extended thanks to the participating organisations. Other attendees included CAR Headquarters ADCP Shameer, CSW ADCP Hanumatha Rao, SCSC CEO NavedAlam Khan, Joint Secretary of SCSC Health Forum and Global CEO of Grace Cancer Foundation Chinna Babu, SCSC Health Manager Praveen Ummadi, and teams from Grace Cancer Foundation and Pristine Eye Vision Foundation led by Chairman Jagadeesh Reddy. MTO-I Prasanth Babu, MTO-II Veeralingam, Cyberabad Doctors Sukumar and Saritha, along with the supporting medical team, were also present.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Galaxy Digital (GLXY) Jumps 16.8% on Bitcoin Asset Investment
We recently published . Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY) is one of Wednesday's top performers. Galaxy Digital jumped by 16.78 percent on Wednesday to end at $24.36 apiece as investors cheered on its expansion into Bitcoin holdings through an investment in Function. Function, formerly Ignition, said in a statement on Wednesday that it raised as much as $10 million from investment support from Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY), Antalpha, and Mantle. Function—through FBTC, a fully reserved Bitcoin asset—is transforming Bitcoin from a passive store of value into a productive, composable financial asset that can flow seamlessly across decentralized and traditional markets. Jason Urban, Global Head of Trading at Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY), said that Function's institutional expertise strengthens its mission to build the standard infrastructure that enables Bitcoin to flow freely across global financial markets. 'I believe Function represents the next evolution in Bitcoin's journey toward becoming a productive financial asset. We're excited to contribute to the infrastructure that Function is building to establish Bitcoin as a capital-efficient reserve asset for global markets,' he added. A close up of a person's hands interacting with a digital financial asset tracker. Based on its historical earnings reporting dates, Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ:GLXY) is set to release its second quarter earnings results in the first week of August 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of GLXY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Function Raises $10M to Bring Yield to Bitcoin; Gets Backing From Galaxy Digital, Antalpha, and Mantle
Crypto infrastructure firm Function has closed a $10 million seed round led by Galaxy Digital (GLXY), with participation from Antalpha (ANTA) and Mantle, the company said in a press release on Tuesday. The round positions Function, formerly known as Ignition, at the forefront of a growing effort to unlock institutional yield opportunities from bitcoin (BTC), which remains the largest yet least-utilized digital asset in decentralized finance (DeFi). Function's flagship product, FBTC, a fully reserved and composable bitcoin representation, has already amassed $1.5 billion in total value locked (TVL), the company said. Function is positioning FBTC as the gateway for institutions and corporate treasuries to productively deploy bitcoin while maintaining full custodial control and 1:1 asset backing. The firm is entering the market as momentum builds around the institutional adoption of bitcoin, not just as a store of value, but as a yield-generating instrument. With Mike Novogratz's Galaxy joining as both an investor and core contributor, Function gains a heavyweight partner in scaling FBTC's institutional reach. Galaxy's involvement includes liquidity provisioning, governance and risk framework design, and strategic oversight. 'By 2026, treating bitcoin as a passive treasury asset may no longer be enough. The new standard will be actively earning yield' said Thomas Chen, CEO of Function, in emailed comments. 'We're evolving from wrapped assets to functional infrastructure that's programmable and institutional-grade to transform bitcoin into a productive asset class. Sophisticated allocators will demand their bitcoin work as hard as their cash. Those slow to adapt will underperform; forward-looking firms will win the next era of bitcoin yield.' Chen while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Function Ushers in the Era of Bitcoin Yield With Galaxy Digital as Investor in $10M Seed Round
New York, New York, July 15th, 2025, FinanceWire Backed by Galaxy Digital, Antalpha, and Mantle, FBTC Reaches $1.5B in TVL—Establishing the Gateway for Institutional Bitcoin Productivity. Function (formerly Ignition) today announced that Galaxy Digital (NASDAQ/TSX: GLXY) has joined as a core contributor and investor in its $10M seed round alongside Antalpha and Mantle. With strategic support from Galaxy, Mantle, and Antalpha (NASDAQ: ANTA), Function is transforming Bitcoin from a passive store of value into a productive, composable financial asset that can flow seamlessly across decentralized and traditional markets. FBTC—a fully reserved Bitcoin asset with over $1.5B in Total Value Locked—serves as the flagship asset, establishing Function as the definitive gateway for corporate treasuries and institutions seeking to deploy Bitcoin productively while maintaining security and sovereignty. Activating Bitcoin as a Yield Generating Asset Bitcoin's financial utility has reached a critical inflection point. With growing attention on strategic crypto reserves with the United States and Pakistan, and regulatory clarity enabling publicly traded companies like Microstrategy and MetaPlanet to adopt the Bitcoin Standard for corporate treasury, the question is no longer whether Bitcoin should evolve beyond a passive store of value, but how to unlock its productive potential at institutional scale. The Bitcoin Growth story needs to have utility in its next phase. 'At Function, we're not just wrapping Bitcoin—we're building the infrastructure and routing it into productive capital flows,' said Thomas Chen, CEO of Function. 'We're establishing the gateway for institutional Bitcoin yield, starting with FBTC as our standardized omnichain asset. This represents a structural shift in how Bitcoin participates in the global financial system, enabling corporate treasuries to optimize their Bitcoin holdings while preserving the asset's core properties.' Galaxy Strengthens Institutional Foundation Galaxy joins Mantle and Antalpha as core contributors to FBTC, enhancing the institutional infrastructure through: Enhanced Liquidity: Supporting the development of institutional-quality liquidity rails for seamless capital deployment Security Council Leadership: Contributing to governance, risk framework development, and security standards Strategic Investment: Accelerating the development of FBTC's standard infrastructure for Bitcoin's integration into global financial markets "Galaxy's partnership validates our vision of Function as the gateway for Bitcoin productivity," said Chen. "Their institutional expertise strengthens our mission to build the standard infrastructure that enables Bitcoin to flow freely across global financial markets." Jason Urban, Global Head of Trading at Galaxy, added: "I believe Function represents the next evolution in Bitcoin's journey toward becoming a productive financial asset. We're excited to contribute to the infrastructure that Function is building to establish Bitcoin as a capital-efficient reserve asset for global markets." Building on a Foundation of Trust and Security FBTC is a fully reserved, 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset already integrated with over 8 major protocols and over 25 leading dApps, including Ethereum, Mantle, Aave, and Babylon. Purpose-built to meet the needs of institutions, DeFi protocols, and sophisticated participants, the platform is anchored by three foundational pillars: Institutional Trust & Security: Multi-layer security architecture, comprehensive risk management, and rigorous audit standards designed for institutional adoption Sustainable Yield & Liquidity: Smart contract architecture that maintains Bitcoin's 1:1 backing alongside transparent yield strategies and liquidity provisioning Omnichain & Composable Infrastructure: Seamless integration with major blockchain ecosystems—including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Mantle—and emerging institutional DeFi networks To learn more about Function and FBTC, users can visit About Function Function is pioneering a new standard for Bitcoin yield, transforming BTC into a secure, composable, and institutionally trusted asset across decentralized finance. FBTC represents the first omnichain Bitcoin yield asset, enabling BTC holders to participate in structured, risk-managed yield strategies. Function is supported by Galaxy Digital, Mantle, Antalpha Prime, and leading institutions. For more information, users can visit: Website | X/Twitter | LinkedIn About Galaxy Galaxy Digital Inc. (NASDAQ/TSX: GLXY) is a global leader in digital assets and data center infrastructure, delivering solutions that accelerate progress in finance and artificial intelligence. Our digital assets platform offers institutional access to trading, advisory, asset management, staking, self-custody, and tokenization technology. In addition, we invest in and operate cutting-edge data center infrastructure to power AI and high-performance computing, meeting the growing demand for scalable energy and compute solutions in the U.S. The Company is headquartered in New York City, with offices across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. About Antalpha Antalpha (NASDAQ: ANTA) is a leading fintech company specializing in providing financing, technology, and risk management solutions to institutions in the digital asset industry. As the primary lending partner of Bitmain, Antalpha offers Bitcoin supply chain and margin loans through the Antalpha Prime technology platform, which allows customers to originate and manage their digital asset loans, as well as monitor collateral positions with near real-time data. About Mantle Mantle is building the largest sustainable hub for on-chain finance. Through its core products — Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, and FBTC — Mantle is unlocking the future of finance by blending institutional expertise with the transformative power of blockchain. Anchored by the Mantle Treasury, the largest community-owned treasury in the ecosystem, Mantle ensures robust liquidity and financial stability. With over $4.3 billion in assets, it actively funds core product development and fosters the growth of asset partners, such as Agora AUSD, Ethena USDe, Ondo USDY, and EigenLayer restaking, enhancing sustainable yield, deep liquidity, and financial utility on the Mantle Network. Contact
