Meet OpenEvidence: The ‘ChatGPT for Doctors’ Changing How Clinicians Access Research

A Transformative Startup in Healthcare

In a significant leap for healthcare technology, OpenEvidence, an artificial intelligence (AI) startup that has been dubbed the “ChatGPT for doctors,” has recently raised an impressive $210 million in a Series B funding round. This influx of capital elevates OpenEvidence's valuation to $3.5 billion, marking it as one of the leading players in the domain of AI-assisted medical research. The funding round was co-led by renowned investment firms Google Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, with additional support from Sequoia Capital, Coatue, Conviction, and Thrive.

The company was founded by Daniel Nadler, a Harvard PhD and former Palantir Technologies product director, alongside prominent AI scientists. One of its earliest backers was OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Notably, Dr. Scott Atlas, a former Stanford neuroradiologist and senior White House advisor during the Trump administration, has been an influential scientific voice behind the company’s mission.

Simplifying Medical Research for Physicians

Founded in 2022, OpenEvidence aims to alleviate the challenges faced by physicians overwhelmed by the immense volume of medical literature. According to co-founder and CEO Daniel Nadler, the launch of OpenEvidence was motivated by the need to make online research more accessible for doctors.

With over 40% of U.S. clinicians reportedly using OpenEvidence, it has swiftly become the most widely adopted medical search engine among healthcare professionals.

The tool enables users to ask clinical questions in natural language, with responses curated and cited from high-quality medical sources.

Driving Efficiency Through AI Algorithms

OpenEvidence leverages proprietary algorithms to sift through millions of peer-reviewed studies, drawing from leading publications such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The startup also unveiled a new product line called “AI agents,” which assist in synthesizing large volumes of clinical trial data and research for pharma companies and healthcare providers. These agents can autonomously draft evidence-based documents, answer complex medical questions, and even generate regulatory reports.

Rapid Growth and Adoption

The uptake of OpenEvidence is striking. The platform has experienced 2,000% year-over-year growth, with the company now supporting approximately 358,000 consultations monthly, a number that has surged to over 8.5 million consultations per month within just a year. This rapid growth is fueled by organic word-of-mouth recommendations among physicians, highlighting the platform's efficacy.

Strategic Partnerships Enhance Credibility

Strategic content partnerships with prestigious organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA) and various specialty journals, have further solidified OpenEvidence's credibility in the medical community. These partnerships help ensure that the information provided aligns with the highest standards of medical knowledge.

OpenEvidence vs. Existing Solutions

While OpenEvidence is not alone in this venture—competing with seasoned services like Wolters Kluwer’s UpToDate—it distinguishes itself through its robust integration of AI from inception. Unlike many existing platforms, which have only begun to incorporate AI, OpenEvidence was designed from the ground up to meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals, touting superior accuracy compared to its competitors, including mainstream tools like ChatGPT.

Its advanced architecture relies on a mixture of retrieval-augmented generation and fine-tuned large language models, ensuring that responses remain clinically sound and legally defensible.

The Path Ahead for OpenEvidence

As Nadler acknowledges, while OpenEvidence significantly aids in clinical decision-making, preliminary findings suggest that its impact in enriching clinical decision-making could be more pronounced in complex cases. The platform has shown promising results in delivering evidence-based recommendations for chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.

Looking forward, OpenEvidence intends to expand globally and is exploring multilingual capabilities.

The Future of AI in Medicine: A Question Mark?

In a world where medical information is constantly expanding, can AI truly revolutionize the way physicians access and utilize this data? OpenEvidence stands at the forefront of this evolution, but the journey is just beginning. Will AI's role in clinical decision-making diminish the dependence on traditional research methods, or will it merely enhance them?

References:

1. Hurt, R. T., Stephenson, C. R., Gilman, E. A., Aakre, C. A., Croghan, I. T., Mundi, M. S., Ghosh, K., & Edakkanambeth Varayil, J. (2025). The Use of an Artificial Intelligence Platform OpenEvidence to Augment Clinical Decision-Making for Primary Care Physicians. Journal of primary care & community health, 16, 21501319251332215. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319251332215

(Rh/Dr. Divina Johncy Rosario/MSM/SE)