Islamabad-based healthtech startup MedIQ has raised $1.8 million in a pre-seed spherical to allow companies to offer healthtech providers to their members.
The spherical was co-led by US-based NRD Capital and Karachi-based Cordoba Ventures, a Center East and Pakistan targeted VC fund. The spherical was additionally joined by US-based early-stage investor Seraph Group, TAJDEED, a syndicate of physicians from APPNA (All Pakistani Physicians of North American descent Affiliation), Home of Habib, and main well being tech angel buyers from Silicon Valley.
Inner paperwork seen by Revenue affirm that the quantity raised was $1.8 million within the spherical.
MedIQ was based within the mid of 2020 by Dr Saira Siddiqui and is without doubt one of the uncommon solo feminine based startups. Dr Saira is a healthcare skilled who holds an MBBS, a grasp’s diploma in public well being and a PhD in well being economics.
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Earlier than the entrepreneurial run because the CEO of her healthtech startup, sher served because the founding CEO of Punjab Well being Initiative Administration Firm (PHIMC) which was accountable for implementation of the pro-poor micro medical insurance program (Sehat Sahulat) within the province of Punjab.
As an alternative of focusing on the B2C market which is saturated with the presence of a smattering of well-funded healthtech startups like Ailaaj, Oladoc and Healthwire, MedIQ has began off with a deal with enabling companies present healthcare providers via a backend system.
“We develop into their digital healthcare arm which turns into part of the corporate techniques as soon as it’s built-in,” says Dr Saira. She says that the platform covers the continuum of healthcare starting from physician discovery to medication supply, lab testing, and serves as a repository of digital medical data which will be provisioned on-demand at hospitals and clinics, creating interoperability and lowering healthcare prices and time.
“After that should you want nursing care or help, we organize that at affected person’s house and in case that you must be referred to a hospital, we are able to make referrals on aggressive charges.”
In accordance with MedIQ, they’ve 7,000 medical doctors on the platform which embody normal practitioners and specialists from 32 specialties. MedIQ platform operates as a market for healthcare.
Clients can search and join with medical doctors of their selection on the platform and so they can order medicines from a listing of main pharmacies listed on the platform, that are fulfilled utilizing third-party logistics suppliers. The sufferers may also order checks from a listing of laboratories.
MedIQ gives the platform freed from price to its shoppers and makes cash by charging healthcare service suppliers like medical doctors, pharmacies and labs.
MedIQ’s rivals just like the aforementioned Ailaaj, Sehat Kahani and DoctHERs additionally serve B2B shoppers however Dr Saira says that that their moat is secured due to unique agreements with shoppers which restricts entry of competitors for someday.
Whereas MedIQ additionally operates a B2C mannequin to offer tech-enabled healthcare for the mass market via MedIQ app, Dr Saira says that the customer-facing mannequin is small at current and their prime focus is to consolidate presence within the B2B phase.
With the fund elevate, medIQ plans to additional put money into its tech infrastructure to offer holistic digital care to firms and sufferers, primarily based on improvement of AI and Machine Studying instruments utilizing high-quality affected person knowledge. The corporate plans to construct out its providers throughout 20 cities of Pakistan and broaden regionally, apart from spending funds on buyer acquisition.