While there’s no denying that the coronavirus pandemic outbreak has dented numerous industries all over the world and ruining economies, but it has been profitable for some businesses. One such business that is witnessing a silent revolution is telemedicine. The COVID-19 outbreak has been an eye-opener for people and many focus on their health due to the fear of infection and the saturated healthcare systems.
The lack of medical infrastructure has resulted in a surge in the number of people seeking online medical consultations. With digital health startups that provide video consultations, people can keep a check on their health without compromising the social distancing and self-isolation norms.
With the growth in telemedicine, patients can not only consult with general practitioners but also with specialists in various fields such as dermatology, cardiology, mental health, etc. We have already seen a slew of digital health startups that combat depression and anxiety caused due to stress during the coronavirus outbreak. Now, we have curated a list of startups that will bring to doctor to your home via online consultations in Europe right now.
Viveo Health (Estonia)
Founder/s: Raul Källo
Founded year: 2018
Funding: €4 million
Tallinn-based telemedicine startup Viveo Health secured €2 million funding back in March 2020 to provide medical help via video when social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak. With this service, the startup intends to help in controlling the spread of the virus in the waiting rooms at the healthcare institutions. This way, the company’s aims to reduce obstacles that are a hindrance to quick diagnosis and services is also met. With Viveo Health, diagnosis during the coronavirus outbreak can happen digitally instead of having to visit the doctor in person.
KRY (Sweden)
Founder/s: Johannes Schildt
Founded year: 2015
Funding: €227 million
Swedish telehealth startup KRY allows users to consult with a qualified health professional within minutes via their smartphones. During the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, KRY has launched a tool for healthcare professionals to conduct remote consultations. With the rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the EU, there is a massive demand for video appointments. To cater to this demand, the startup has come up with a platform called Care Connect by KRY in Europe supporting ten languages. It will soon be opened for all users across the world. The web-based platform for healthcare professionals facilities encrypted video consultations and users need not require a KRY account.
Babylon Health (UK)
Founder/s: Ali Parsa
Founded year: 2013
Funding: €577 million
Babylon Health based in London operates a digital doctor app that works right now when there are self-isolating and social distancing norms issued by the government due to COVID-19. If you are worried you or someone might have coronavirus, then you can contact a doctor via Babylon Health and ensure that there is no risk associated with the same. What’s interesting is that this service is free and easy to use and helps get the right care at the right time all this directly from your smartphone. This way, you will be able to contain the virus without passing it on to others.
Infermedica (Poland)
Founder/s: Piotr Orzechowski, Roberto Sicconi
Founded year: 2012
Funding: €3.8 million
Infermedica is a Polish digital health platform providing healthcare specialists with the necessary tools required to pre-diagnose and connect with a patient remotely. This startup has developed a free COVID-19 Risk Assessment Tool right at the time when the coronavirus pandemic is spreading quickly across the world. This tool developed by Infermedica is free to use and is updated continuously as per the latest WHO and CDC reports and findings. Currently, this tool is available in more than 20 languages and a slew of healthcare and insurance organisations from over 15 countries to stop the spread of COVID-19.
MediQuo (Spain)
Founder/s: Guillem Serra, Albert Castells, José López
Founded year: 2017
Funding: €6.5 million
MediQuo, a leading Spanish eHealth app has received €4 million funding to launch the ‘mediQuo PRO’ app that will give doctors and healthcare professionals the ability to manage online appointments. It helps both patients and doctors with this app. The mediQuo PRO app adheres to all the GDPR regulations and reinforces both patient and doctor confidentiality. The startup aims that this app will reach 14,000 healthcare professionals letting them manage 1.5 medical appointments in the next 15 months during the coronavirus outbreak.
Doctolib (France)
Founder/s: Steve Abou Rjeily, Jessy Bernal, Ivan Schneider, Stanislas Niox-Chateau
Founded year: 2013
Funding: €237 million
Doctolib, the French doctor appointment booking platform has made its new teleconsultation platform available for all doctors in the country for free. During the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, the number of doctor consultations on the Doctolib platform is said to have increased by a whopping 100 times. To meet the demand, the startup has also increased the number of doctors using the platform by ten times. If you feel you have symptoms related to coronavirus, then you can consult with the doctors or healthcare professionals via the Doctolib platform.
VideoDoc (Ireland)
Founder/s: Damian Kissane, Mary O’ Brien
Founded year: 2014
Funding: €4.5 million
VideoDoc has been witnessing a steady month-on-month growth in the consultation numbers since the outbreak of COVID-19. It has teamed up with VH1 Healthcare, Beaumont Hospital, the USI, and the Irish Postmasters Union to drive its growth. The annual subscription customers of VideoDoc will be given access to the 24/7 service during the coronavirus outbreak letting them book virtual appointments and consult a doctor whenever they need instead of waiting in long queues and breaking the social distancing norms suggested by the governments and healthcare experts.
Stock photo from TippaPatt/Shutterstock
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