Mobile health firm wins $17M investment

SARASOTA — Voalte, a mobile health firm that uses smartphone technology and apps to simplify communication among health care employees and caregivers, has picked up another $17 million in funding.

The latest infusion brings the total capital Voalte has raised to nearly $60 million in three years, according to a release. The newest investors include health care industry stars Ascension Ventures and Cerner Capital. St. Louis-based Ascension Ventures, a venture fund with $550 million in capital under management, is a subsidiary of Ascension, the nation's largest Catholic, nonprofit health system. Cerner Capital is an affiliate of Cerner Corp., a Kansas City-based health care IT firm with $3.4 billion in annual sales.

Voalte CEO Trey Lauderdale says the capital is a great victory for the firm, founded in 2008. But the validation from being aligned with entities like Ascension and Cerner is also a big win.