Samaritan

Post-pitch story

Jonathan Kumar pitched Samaritan with an idea that stopped the room: small Bluetooth beacons carried by people experiencing homelessness, letting nearby residents learn their stories and send money and encouragement directly. It could have stayed a feel-good pilot. Instead, Samaritan grew into something much bigger. The company evolved from the beacon model into a platform that partners with hospitals and health systems — including Kaiser Permanente and California Hospital Medical Center — to support unhoused patients. The results are striking: a 2025 Kaiser Permanente evaluation found that people enrolled through Samaritan saw a 50% reduction in healthcare costs, driven by fewer emergency room visits. Investors noticed — the company raised later-stage venture funding in August 2025, backed by Eagle Freedom Fund II, and it now employs around 49 people and is expanding into new cities. Kumar is still CEO, still arguing that social capital is a tool for housing stability. This is one of the most meaningful post-pitch trajectories in the entire directory.