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Steven Fitzsimmons
Co-founder of Freshpaint (YC S19) - I'm hiring!
Steven Fitzsimmons is the Co-Founder and CEO of Freshpaint, a startup based in San Francisco that specializes in providing a no-code customer data platform aimed primarily at healthcare marketers. The company was launched in October 2019 and is backed by Y Combinator, a prominent startup accelerator. Freshpaint's platform enables users to collect and manage customer data while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations such as HIPAA, which is crucial for healthcare organizations.123
Professional Background
Fitzsimmons has extensive experience in building go-to-market (GTM) functions for data-driven companies. He emphasizes a learning-oriented approach, viewing failures as opportunities for growth. His leadership at Freshpaint focuses on simplifying the integration of customer data into marketing strategies without necessitating heavy engineering resources.12
Company Overview
Under Fitzsimmons' guidance, Freshpaint has developed a platform that automatically collects data from websites and applications, allowing marketers to send this information to over 100 analytics and marketing tools with minimal technical intervention. This capability is particularly beneficial for non-technical teams in healthcare settings, enabling them to leverage customer data effectively while adhering to stringent privacy standards.23
Recent Developments
In recent years, Freshpaint has pivoted towards enhancing its offerings specifically for the healthcare sector, responding to increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding data privacy. The company has secured significant funding to expand its capabilities and support healthcare organizations in managing sensitive patient information responsibly.45
Fitzsimmons' commitment to innovation and compliance positions Freshpaint as a leader in the intersection of marketing technology and healthcare privacy, making it an essential tool for organizations looking to navigate the complexities of modern digital marketing while safeguarding patient data.34
Highlights
Today marks the next chapter of our journey at Freshpaint with our $30M Series B funding, led by Threshold Ventures!
Over the past few years, we’ve helped hundreds of healthcare companies (maybe yours!) grow while protecting patient privacy. Now we’re expanding our offerings to ensure the entire healthcare ecosystem—including retail healthcare companies, pharmacies, and insurance providers—can reach consumers safely and effectively.
This new funding isn’t just about keeping companies HIPAA-compliant. It’s about building a future where our communities and loved ones can access the care they need while maintaining the privacy they deserve.
There isn’t enough room here to thank all of our team members, customers, investors, and partners here. But I feel truly lucky to be on this journey with every one of you.
I wrote more about our commitment to healthcare in the comments below
I'm not here to shame anyone, so I won't mention names, but the number of hospital systems we analyzed that unknowingly violate HIPAA because of Google Analytics running on their website is shocking.
Here's why.
Imagine you're an expecting mother who googles 'obgyn near me,' and you click on a local healthcare system's pregnancy services directory.
The Google Analytics tracking snippet (this is what HIPAA means by "tracking technology") will collect that page URL and your IP address.
This is protected health information - Google could interpret that you're a pregnant woman from this data.
There are countless examples of this. My recommendation is to inspect those pages to see if Google's tracking snippet is running.
