Matt Rothstein says his entire career, from Goldman Sachs to the National Library of Medicine, has been spent building “systems where technology and human achievement intersect.”
“Regardless of sector, infrastructure is often broken or incentives are misaligned, resulting in a poor experience for those who need it most,” he told Fierce Healthcare.
Mr. Rothstein co-founded Final, Inc., the predecessor to Apple Card, in 2012. He said the most important lesson learned from the development was “the discipline of building for real human moments.” Rothstein said this experience will be applied to healthcare to build solutions for everyone, especially those in need.
“Healthcare has the same problem, but perhaps even more acutely,” he says. “This system was designed with facility convenience in mind, not patient experience.”
His latest venture is as Head of Engineering for Akido Labs, a provider and clinical automation platform.
“Most AI healthcare companies sell software to hospital systems and hope something changes,” Rothstein said. “Akido owns the clinical network where our software and AI actually runs. That closed loop allows for rapid iteration and true innovation.”
Founded in 2015, the AI-native company aims to leverage technology to combat the healthcare provider shortage and democratize access to healthcare, especially for vulnerable communities. Fierce 15 of 2026 winner Akido Labs has raised more than $100 million as of January and is backed by Oak HC/FT, Y Combinator, and more.
In 2022, we launched Akido Care, a network of approximately 100 clinics providing primary and specialty care. Akido Care has more than 240 healthcare providers across 26 specialties serving more than 500,000 patients, according to its website.
Akido’s ScopeAI tools are used in fields such as cardiology, endocrinology, primary care, pulmonology, rheumatology, and street medicine. Rothstein said the platform is “embedded directly into healthcare delivery.”
“That integration is what’s important,” Rothstein said.
Rothstein said the solution boasts a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 96, 100% year-over-year patient growth among more than 500,000 patients in three states, and “reduces in-person patient time by five times.”
“Vertical integration makes this possible,” he said. “In health care, it means the use of technology can permeate every layer of care delivery, something that more narrow-scope organizations cannot replicate.”
As Rothstein has grown accustomed to the role, he said, “I want to understand the system before I change it.”
““Akido has 10 years of clinical and technical infrastructure, over 10 million patient case studies, a state-of-the-art data infrastructure, and a custom medical technology stack,” said Rothstein. That’s a rich foundation to build on. ”
Rothstein’s other priorities are embedding engineering throughout the organization, strengthening the “feedback loop” between clinical outcomes and innovation, and increasing growth rates.
Rothstein said he has known co-founders Prashant Samant and Jared Goodner since 2015.
“Over the past 10 years, I have watched them build an organization with a relentless focus on serving real needs,” he said. “That statement of focus in the street medicine program is what drew me in.”
In January, Akido launched a street medicine program in the Bay Area using ScopeAI to help unhoused patients stay healthy.
“53% of patients in L.A.’s street care program see a health care provider on their first day of participation,” he said. “63% are still receiving treatment at six months. For a population where medical care is consistently failing, this is more than a trial result, it’s proof that the model works.”
Rothstein said the street care results are a “proof of principle” that AI-driven care “can improve access, engagement, and clinical outcomes simultaneously and sustainably.”
“The question is not whether AI will be introduced into the medical field, but whether the first actual implementation will be meaningful or just a window-dressing,” he said. “Akido is in a meaningful column.”
