Lily Vittayarukskul never imagined her future would be shaped by a personal tragedy. While studying aerospace engineering, her world shifted when her aunt—who had helped raise her—was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Her family’s journey through two and a half years of intensive caregiving left not just emotional scars but also severe financial strain. The experience was transformative enough for her to pivot her academic path toward genetics and data science—and ultimately launch Waterlily, a startup redefining how long-term care planning is done.
Based in San Francisco, Waterlily isn’t just another tech startup; it’s a precision-engineered platform built to confront one of the most pressing and least discussed issues of aging—how to afford and manage long-term care. By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, the platform offers personalized predictions for care needs and financial strategies, allowing individuals, financial advisors, and insurance agents to plan proactively instead of reactively.
The technology is designed for adults over 40, and it pulls from over 500 million data points, including partnerships with government health agencies, academic databases, and user-reported information. Its algorithms forecast not only the what and how of care needs but crucially, the when—a trifecta of insight that helps users make informed decisions on whether to self-fund, purchase LTC-specific policies, or explore options like annuities and life insurance riders.
Unlike static cost calculators or generalized retirement tools, Waterlily stands out for its hyper-individualized approach. While legacy platforms depend on national averages or broad simulations, Waterlily’s machine learning engine delivers nuanced modeling that reflects the unique health history, financial profile, and familial dynamics of each user. This makes it not only more accurate but dramatically more actionable for financial planners looking to give precise advice.
Since its public launch in early 2024, Waterlily has gained remarkable traction. Its monthly recurring revenue has soared by over 22 times since its debut, and month-over-month growth averages an impressive 58%. The company has already inked deals with major enterprises, including big names in insurance, and is expanding its footprint among independent advisors who subscribe to its SaaS model at a premium.
The momentum hasn’t gone unnoticed by investors. With $7 million raised in a recent seed round led by Brewer Lane Ventures and strategic backing from industry leaders, Waterlily is now scaling fast—building out its engineering and data science teams, enhancing its predictive algorithms, and deepening partnerships across the healthcare and insurance ecosystem.
Co-founder and COO Evan Ehrenberg brings deep domain experience, including a track record of health tech innovation and academic pedigree that includes a neuroscience PhD from MIT earned at just 21. His own test run of Waterlily’s platform was life-changing, pushing him to overhaul his personal health and financial planning. That kind of impact speaks volumes about the potential of the technology to not just guide—but transform—its users’ trajectories.
As it looks toward future horizons, Waterlily is eyeing expansion into areas like disability, critical illness, and Medicare planning—categories similarly plagued by complexity and gaps in preparation. International expansion is also on the radar, with Canada, the U.K., and parts of Asia flagged as markets with growing demand for AI-assisted care planning.
Waterlily isn’t just filling a void in the financial planning landscape; it’s creating a new category. In a society where aging populations are rapidly outpacing our preparedness to care for them, tools like Waterlily are no longer optional—they’re essential.
