This week would took a close look at European healthtech startups, with the goal to introduce you to 10 companies with the potential to change the health industry in the near future. From analytics to apps, wearables to sensors, and headsets to mobile devices, the clever tech revolution reshaping health and medical technologies (medtech) is finding a natural home, especially in Europe. While these startups are not launched to take jobs away from healthcare professionals, they do make life just a tad bit easier and offer support and mentorship to their users.
KRY, a Swedish startup who just raised €66 million in funding, is taking off and expanding globally. After downloading, the app allows users to describe (and even upload images of) their symptoms and answer some questions regarding their medical state and past. After that it is to choose between a drop-in or a scheduled appointment. A doctor or therapist on duty then calls the user when it is their turn with a 15-minute time-slot, just as at a regular doctor’s office. The doctor keeps a medical record, yet sensitive information is not stored directly in the KRY system, to disable a leak. If the medial professional decides the patient needs a prescription, a doctor’s note is sent immediately after the consultation.
Cera: Founded by Dr. Ben Maruthappu and Marek Sacha, in Q4 of 2016, this startup is a provider of home-care services for seniors, older adults and individuals requiring personal care. Through Cera’s matching algorithm and automated scheduling systems, Cera is able respond to enquiries within the hour, and in 96% of cases start care on the same day when requested. Cera has significantly lower overheads compared to traditional care companies, allowing the company to pay caretakers up to 50% higher than the industry average, while still offering affordable rates for customers. Cera has received several awards including the Most Outstanding Digital Health Innovation of the Year, the LaingBuisson Dementia Care Award, the Best London Home Care Company at the Social Care Awards 2018, Disruptive Leader of the Year and Britain’s Health Startup of the Year.
Lifesum is a Swedish digital health startup that helps users become healthier by using specialized applied psychology and technology. Selected by Wired UK as “One of Stockholms hottest startups”, Lifesum has a total funding amount of €17 million and was led by Nokia Growth Partners, making it one of the most powerful health apps in Scandinavia, Germany, France and Italy. CEO and Co-Founder Henrik Torstensson is believes that prevention maybe be the best cure, but changing behavior isn’t easy, making it so remarkable that they are changing user’s lives.
Qunomedical: Launched by Sophie Chung and Gero Graf in 2015 in Berlin, Germany. This personalized healthcare manager range of medical services, including dentistry, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, reproductive medicine and weight loss surgery. It enables its users to search for hospitals based on the treatment wanted or required. Once the hospital is selected, the users obtains quotes from the hospital of their choice and provides its clients with answers to any doubts before the surgery as well as clarification of their insurance plans. Qunomedical offers complete personalized services, and cater to their users 24/7 in case of any bumps along the way, their even give a WhatsApp number to stay in contact with the patient before, during and after their surgery.
Selfapy is a therapy support tool launched in Berlin, Germany in 2016 by the two founders Farina Schurzfeld and Nora Blum. This healthtech startup does not only focus on supporting single users, but also has a function for companies and their employees to get the help they deserve in times of psychological crisis either professionally or personally. Selfapy works with simple steps through the platform, is completely anonymous and offers many 9-week courses concentrated on mental instabilities.
YAS.life – another great Health & Fitness startup founded in Berlin, Germany, in 2016 by Magnus Kobel and Saqib Hanif. YAS.life is linked with the user’s fitness tracker, as well as a health app on the phone to achieve goals, track records and accumulate movement points and to, in the end, get rewarded by YAS’ partners such as Garmin, SportScheck or Runners World.
Oxford Heartbeat: A startup developing the latest technology for minimally-invasive surgeries. The problem is known, there is no current objective way to choose the best stent for the patient and decisions are most likely made by sight, Katerina Spranger, the founder of Oxford Heartbeat has noted. This problem costs the NHS incredible amounts of money each year which go into corrective surgeries. That is why Spranger is solving this by developing a software that turns 2D medical scans into 3D models of a patient’s cranial blood vessels, which lets surgeons then test different types of stents to make sure they choose the best fit for everyone. The founder hopes that there will be less stents wasted and also a decrease in unnecessary operations.
Bounce Works – focuses on the mental health of youngsters and helping them “get their bounce back”, which isn’t the norm in our society. Bounce Works, launched by Louis Weinstock in 2016, teaches compassion, emotional resilience and well-being. The products are fun and engaging, leaving much room for a playful imagination. This London-based startup is at the seed stage of their kick-off, yet we here at EU-Startups believe they are on to something big and we’re sure you’ll hear from them quite soon.
OurPath – a UK based startup specialized in type two diabetes patients and helping them manage their illness by living more active lives which helps to reduce and prevent their symptoms. The startup produces a wristband that monitors the users steps, sleep pattern, heart rate and weight and provides all this information in real time updates. Founded in 2014, OurPath raised half a million pounds in venture capital funding in 2017 and continues to experience fast growth.
Echo – an app that allows its users to order repeat prescriptions from their physician is making the hectic day-to-day so much easier. The users tell Echo what prescription is needed and where their local general practitioner is located, it then partners with NHS digital to plug into various systems needed to verify this information and is then delivered to the door by Royal Mail for free. Echo was founded in 2015 and has already raised £8.8 million and was selected for the TechCity UK Upscale program in 2017.
Quite amazing startups making incredibly innovative steps in an industry which has not been revolutionized since, well actually never. All in all, the health sector has a lot of room for new ideas and for startups with potential to disrupt this industry. Healthtech startups, as the ones mentioned above, are critical for enabling ease to users and support in phases where support is needed. Also true is that these health startups need to invest much time and capital in research and labs to be able to offer trustworthy products to their clients. Keep up the good work!
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