Avante, a startup aiming to fix what it calls a “broken benefits system,” has officially launched a platform that claims to help employers cut waste, increase engagement, and finally get their money’s worth from skyrocketing health insurance spending.
With employer-sponsored health coverage projected to top $1.7 trillion next year, companies are desperate for a smarter way to manage what has become their second-largest expense. Avante’s solution is a tech-powered platform that does the heavy lifting, like analysing real-time data, simplifying vendor management, and guiding employees to the right programmes at the right time.
The result is fewer headaches for HR teams, more engaged workers, and, according to Avante, a shot at cutting overall programme costs by up to 3%.
Confused about your benefits? You’re not alone
Despite spending an average of $15,000 per employee on family health insurance and another $6,000 from the employee’s pocket, companies often see little return on their investment. Workers don’t use the benefits. HR teams spend hours fielding the same questions. And countless wellness programmes go untouched.
“For too long, employers have managed benefits without the visibility they need—dealing with disconnected systems, rising costs, and unclear ROI—while employees face a confusing and fragmented experience. Employees genuinely want to use their benefits, but the process is often so complex and frustrating that they give up. Avante changes that by providing employees with personalised, 24/7 support, while simultaneously equipping HR and benefit leaders with a unified benefits intelligence platform,” said Kabir Shahani, Avante’s executive chairman.
Avante aims to reverse this with a personalised benefits assistant that operates in 50 languages, offering real-time guidance on everything from mental health to fertility care. The company says this approach has already cut HR admin time by 40% and boosted employee engagement sevenfold compared to industry norms.
One dashboard
Behind the scenes, Avante’s analytics engine pulls together data from medical claims, pharmacy use, vendor performance, and employee engagement to give HR and finance teams a single source of truth. No more juggling spreadsheets or chasing down vendors for updates.
Its “Beacon” system flags high-impact savings opportunities, helps streamline bloated vendor networks, and provides real-time ROI insights, something most companies are still trying to calculate months after open enrollment ends.
Launched after a year of R&D with early partners like Datavant, Zscaler, and OneDigital, Avante is now available for wider rollout. Backed by $10 million in seed funding from Fuse Venture Partners, the company says organisations can be up and running in less than 30 days.