With Tuesday’s public launch, Avante marks a key milestone in its mission to modernize how companies handle employee benefits. Since emerging quietly in early 2024, the company has expanded to a 25-person team and secured enterprise customers including Datavant, Zscaler, Real Chemistry, and OneDigital.
Avante’s platform targets a common pain point for HR teams: time-consuming administration and ballooning benefits costs. By combining automation with a built-in AI-powered assistant. The system aims to improve how employees access, understand, and utilize their benefits. While helping HR leaders cut overhead and better manage programs.
Though the company has not disclosed revenue figures, it’s already competing in a crowded space. Giants like Workday, Deel, ADP, and Rippling dominate the employee benefits tech landscape. But Avante is betting on its deep healthcare and automation expertise to give it an edge.
Leading the company is CEO Rohan D’Souza, the former Chief Product Officer at Olive AI. A healthcare automation firm that was dismantled in 2023 after divesting its key assets. Dr. Carly Eckert, an epidemiologist with a Ph.D. and MD, serves as Avante’s Head of Innovation and Impact — and was previously EVP at Olive AI as well.
Tech veteran Kabir Shahani, best known for co-founding and leading Seattle-based Amperity, is now serving as Avante’s executive chairman.
Avante’s $10 million seed round was led by Seattle VC firm Fuse, with support from Ascend, HighSage Ventures, and several prominent angel investors. The startup currently sits at No. 172 on the GeekWire 200, which tracks the most promising private tech companies in the Pacific Northwest.
As companies continue looking for smarter, cost-effective solutions to attract and retain talent, Avante is positioning itself as the intelligent engine behind a better benefits experience — for HR and employees alike.
