Online portal Doctolib has become France's largest tech startup thanks to a recent wave of funding that brought its value soar to around €5.8 billion.
Doctolib. Credit: Doctolib
Doctolib's latest wave of funding should allow the startup to expand to around 6,000 employees. Credit: Doctolib
Its latest wave of funding raked in €500 million in "both equity and debt" which will supposedly allow the firm, which provides a platform to book medical appointments, including consultations and vaccines, from a smartphone app to create 3,500 employees across 30 cities in France.
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This will see the app more than double its current workforce, with the planned expansion expected over the next decade.
"I am convinced that digital technology is an essential partner in the daily lives of caregivers and patients and that we can have a humanistic approach to health innovation", the company's CEO Stanislas Niox-Chateau said in a post on LinkedIn.
"This is what we have been trying to prove since the creation of Doctolib, almost 10 years ago now. And this is only the beginning", he added.
Founded in 2013, the platform operates a software-as-a-service model for doctors and medical professionals which rose to prominence during the pandemic. Its service has prevented the need for people to go out and book medical appointments, which could risk transmitting the virus.
The platform claims to have over 60 million users, which will have direct access to an apparent pool of 300,000 healthcare professionals through a network of European cities.
The system boasts 250 hospitals under its network, 50% of which are university hospitals.
700 new positions have already been opened for 2022, the CEO revealed in the post.
Its expansion plans include "dematerialising" prescriptions, likely meaning they will become entirely digital or through direct messaging with healthcare professionals.
Given one-in-five users of the platform are over 55 - nearly 90% in top urban areas - this could greatly increase accessibility to healthcare and decrease the risk of transmission among the most vulnerable in society.
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However, with a subscription coming in at €129 per month, its price could be a hurdle for some.
Like much of the developed world, France operates a universal healthcare system that is considered among the best in the world, and has seen particular praise for its efficiency. 96% of the country uses its public healthcare system.
It does offer a higher tier for those able to pay, and not all services are covered by the mandatory insurance.
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