Press

5

 min read

Cedar Announces Krishna Rao as Chief Financial Officer

Written by

Published on

August 3, 2021

Share

Subscribe to our newsletter

Stay in the loop in our resources and insights

Thanks for your message!

We will reach back to you as soon as possible.

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Rao brings strong strategic finance, corporate development experience to continue scaling Cedar’s business

Cedar, an innovative healthcare financial technology platform, today announced it has named Krishna Rao as Cedar’s first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). In this role, Rao will oversee Cedar’s comprehensive finance and legal function, helping to drive strategic growth and decision-making for the company.

“Krishna has a proven track record of guiding companies through the next level of performance and growth,” said Florian Otto, CEO and co-founder of Cedar. “As Cedar continues to grow, we welcome his expertise as we scale and strengthen our executive team with talented individuals who share our mission of transforming U.S. healthcare.”

Rao brings over 15 years of experience growing businesses, most recently serving as Global Head of Corporate and Business Development for Airbnb. In this role, he led and supported financings totaling over $10 billion in equity and debt capital, including the company’s initial public offering last year, and led Airbnb’s acquisition and partnership activity globally. Prior to Airbnb, Rao worked as an investor in Blackstone’s Private Equity Group and at Bain & Company as a management and strategy consultant.

“The problem Cedar is solving is so tangible — almost everyone has experienced a frustrating or confusing medical bill,” said Rao. “It is exciting to see a company using technology to address this pain point, and I am thrilled to partner with Florian and the leadership team on the next chapter in Cedar’s journey to transform the healthcare financial experience.”

Rao joins Cedar at a time of rapid growth for the company. Following its recent acquisition of OODA Health and $200M Series D funding, Cedar will continue to scale its focus on empowering consumers with more transparency and assurance in their healthcare financial experiences.

Rao holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Learn more about Rao and the newly created role here.

About Cedar

Cedar’s mission is to empower us all to easily and affordably pursue the care we need. As the only complete solution to address all of the challenges consumers face when paying for healthcare, Cedar enables a better and more transparent financial experience. To learn more, visit www.cedar.com.

Contact

Jenny Fiegoli
PR & Communications Manager
[email protected]

See related Press

press
Built In Honors Cedar in Its Esteemed 2026 Best Places To Work Awards For Sixth Consecutive Year

Cedar Earns Placement on Built In’s 100 Best Midsize Places to Work in New York City in 2026

press
Cedar Launches Cedar Cover to Help Hospitals Navigate the Medicaid and Affordability Crisis

New digital safety net secures coverage and financial aid for underinsured and uninsured patients while protecting providers from billions in uncompensated care

press
Cedar Named to TIME’s Inaugural List of World’s Top HealthTech Companies

Cedar was recognized with the top ranking of “Outstanding” for pioneering purpose-built AI solutions to transform the healthcare financial journey for patients and providers

press
Cedar’s 2025 PFX Awards Honor Changemakers Transforming the Patient Financial Experience

The Patient Financial Experience (PFX) Awards are the only awards that celebrate those on the front lines of patient finance, honoring the top 20 visionaries making healthcare more

press
Sanford Health and Cedar Partner to Bring Cutting-Edge Financial Solutions to Rural Care

The nation’slargest rural Epic health system selects Cedar to enhance the patient financial experience in America’s heartland

press
Cedar Unveils Agentic AI Purpose-Built for Healthcare Billing, Aiming to Help Providers Cut Costs with a 30% Reduction in Patient Billing Calls

Kora, Cedar’s AI voice agent – now live with ApolloMD – enables Revenue Cycle teams to resolve billing inquiries instantly, reducing costs and manual workload for provider organizations

press
Cedar and Twilio Collaborate to Improve Patient Billing Experiences with AI-Powered Solutions

Twilio enables Cedar to streamline communications, elevating patient service and reducing provider costs with AI-driven automation and empathetic support

press
Cedar Included on the Forbes List of America’s Best Startup Employers 2025 for Fifth Consecutive Year

Cedar’s continued recognition highlights commitment to employee satisfaction and follows ongoing advancements in tackling healthcare affordability

press
Cedar Named to the Inaugural Hall of Fame by Digital Health New York (DHNY)

Celebrates 28 companies that have built the foundation of NY’s Digital Health Ecosystem

press
Cedar Unveils Year in Review and Vision Ahead Report, Showcasing Bold Advancements in Tackling Healthcare Affordability

As the only platform unifying all elements of the patient’s financial journey—including HSA banks and financial assistance programs—Cedar is uncovering unique pathways to affordability for patients