Will Build the “AI Infrastructure” for Healthcare Workforce Management
SAN FRANCISCO – Worki, a healthcare technology startup, announced today that it has raised $2.75 million in pre-seed funding to solve one of the most persistent headaches in modern medicine: the fragmented and overwhelming administrative burden of workforce operations.
The funding round was led by healthcare venture builder Redesign Health and Healthliant Ventures, the investment arm of Tanner Health. The capital will be used to scale Worki’s platform, which acts as a “connective tissue” between a health system’s existing software—such as Workday, Oracle, and ServiceNow—and the emerging world of AI.
The “Data Context” Problem
While many hospitals are experimenting with AI, most lack the underlying infrastructure to deploy it effectively. Current workforce data is often siloed across various Human Resources (HR) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Worki solves this by creating a “task-role architecture.”
Instead of looking at broad job titles, Worki’s platform maps out exactly how work is performed at the task level. This allows health system leaders to see exactly where AI can assist—such as in credentialing, onboarding, or scheduling—without displacing the human element.
The Worki Platform: Four Pillars
Worki’s AI-native infrastructure is built on four core capabilities designed to streamline complex operations:
- Pathways: Mapping how AI reshapes specific administrative tasks.
- Unify: Creating a single, modular data identity across siloed systems.
- Amplifiers: Deploying AI agents that “amplify” traditional HR roles by taking over repetitive manual work.
- Infrasharing: Scaling that workforce intelligence across entire organizations.
Industry Impact
Early partners, including Tanner Health and BJC Healthcare, are already seeing the benefits. These organizations project millions in first-year savings as the platform reduces administrative overhead, which typically accounts for nearly a third of total health system costs.
“Worki is built to operate within the complexity of workforce operations, not around it,” said Steve West, Managing Director at Healthliant Ventures. “That’s critical for any organization trying to move from AI experimentation to something that actually works in practice.”
Leadership with Pedigree
The company is led by a founding team with deep roots in both healthcare and tech:
- CEO Craig Allan Ahrens: Veteran of healthcare startup scaling.
- CTO Harvey Hongwei Li, PhD: Former AI lead at Uber and Airbnb.
- CCO Michael Biggs: Expert in healthcare commercial strategy.
“Leaders don’t have a clear roadmap for adopting AI without making the wrong cuts or creating more uncertainty,” said CEO Craig Allan Ahrens. “We are providing the infrastructure that brings clarity to that process, reassuring teams while driving real change.”
While currently focused on healthcare, Worki plans to eventually expand its model to other highly regulated industries, such as finance and manufacturing, that face similar labor and administrative challenges.
