There’s a saying in Alcoholics Anonymous (okay, there are many): “It works if you work it.” But here’s the problem—many who need to “work it” can’t because of the time and cost associated with traditional recovery programs.

That’s the problem that Workit Health, a startup founded by Robin McIntosh and Lisa McLaughlin, two tech workers who met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Oakland more than a decade ago, is trying to solve. By bringing together technologists, clinicians, and counselors to develop a digital-first platform for recovery, the duo hope they will be able to reach far more people who are in need of recovery than existing, in-person programs. 

“Both inpatient and outpatient programs are expensive and inconvenient,” says McIntosh, the cofounder and co-CEO of Workit Health. “And there hasn’t been much of a digital aspect of recovery. It’s still largely face-to-face.”

Workit Health got its start in 2015, well before the pandemic. But it’s no surprise it is now seeing a boom in demand—and is announcing a $12 million Series B round of financing, which brings its total funding to date to $20 million. That’s because COVID-19 has exacerbated existing addiction problems in the United States, with several studies showing that the virus has led to an increase in substance abuse and drug overdoses. At the same time, the pandemic has also accelerated demand for telemedicine and for startups that enable it. 

“Workit was already at an inflection point in their growth and was ready for this,” says Beth Ferreira, a general partner at New York City–based firm FirstMark Capital. “[Their] approach is completely holistic and they have the infrastructure to prescribe medication and conduct therapy and group counseling—all aspects of addiction treatment in one platform from the safety and privacy of home.”

Read the full article on Fortune here.