Secure text messaging app company TigerText of Santa Monica has raised a $50 million Series C round.

TigerText has raised $81.1 million, since it was founded in 2010, according to CrunchBase.

TigerText’s mobile phone, Apple Watch and desktop software allow doctors and nurses to text medical information about patients without running afoul of patient privacy laws. The app maintains privacy with such features as self-destructing messages, message recall and secure file transfer. The company’s TigerText Connect platform can also be integrated into other company’s software as a secure messaging add-on.

“We are opening up and allowing third parties to take the (software development kits) for iOS, Android and JavaScript and we allow them to drop those into their own applications, so they have secure messaging,” said Chief Executive Brad Brooks. “There’s a lot of need for messaging in general and in particular there is a lot of need for secure messaging.”

Though the vast majority of TigerText’s business is in the medical industry, Brooks said the company also sells some messaging software to financial firms, where it is used to maintain compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and other industry requirements.

TigerText said it will use some of its funding infusion to acquire new customers through additional advertising efforts. The funding will also be used to further enhance the company’s software.

As part of the funding round, TigerText also announced Dr. Robert Mittendorff, principal at Norwest Venture Partners, will join the company’s board of directors.

The new round was led by Norwest Venture Partners with participation from Invus Group and Accolade Partners, as well as previous backers Shasta Ventures, OrbiMed and Reed Elsevier.

Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.