TCS, IIT Kharagpur to Setup Advanced Research Center Focusing Digital Health, Robotics and Intelligent Systems

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) have partnered to establish an Advanced Research Center focused on digital health, robotics, and intelligent systems. The center is located in the IIT Kharagpur Research Park in New Town, Kolkata.

The center will house three labs specializing in Sensing and Communications, Edge Computing and Analytics, and Robotics and Visual Computing.

Over 150 TCS scientists will work on cutting-edge projects, leveraging edge computing, embedded systems, and Al.

The center will also feature a customer experience center where TCS clients from various industries can gain insights into original research concepts.

Additionally, workshops will be held to foster collaboration between TCS scientists, industry experts, and IIT Kharagpur faculty to solve industry problems.

This partnership aims to drive innovation and address some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare and automation.

Dr Harrick Vin, Chief Technology Officer, TCS, said: “TCS is transforming the way in which industry has traditionally engaged with elite institutes of research and learning. One of our focus areas is to co-locate our research and innovation labs in academic institutions to enable a more efficient exchange of knowledge and talent. We initiated this journey with our move into the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai a few years back. The establishment of our research and innovation lab at the IIT Kharagpur Research Park is the next step of this strategic journey. At IIT KGP, we are funding several research programs; co-innovating with them will lead to vastly improved outcomes for both parties.”

Professor Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur, said: “The Advanced Research Center will strengthen our strategic collaboration with TCS, underscored by their presence in the newly established IIT KGP Research Park, Kolkata. This partnership represents a significant leap forward in harnessing cutting-edge technologies to address some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare and automation. By combining IIT Kharagpur’s world-class research capabilities with TCS’s industry-leading expertise, we aim to drive transformative innovations that can enhance quality of life, improve healthcare delivery, and contribute to the growing field of intelligent systems. This center will not only foster groundbreaking research but also create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations, empowering the next generation of technologists and researchers to shape the future.”

Besides this research center, TCS has also set up a research and innovation lab at the IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai. And this lab too focuses on areas like digital health, robotics, and intelligent systems.

TCS has also collaborated with IIT Bombay on various research projects, particularly in the fields of data science and artificial intelligence.

Digital Therapeutics Startup Wundrsight Secures $400K in Seed Round Led by Inflection Point Ventures

• Wundrsight is revolutionizing therapy by digitizing therapeutic protocols for specific mental health conditions using Virtual Reality.
• Funds will be utilized to deepen partnerships with hospitals, clinics, and rehab centers across India, while enhancing platform development, obtaining regulatory approvals, and scaling operations in major cities.
• So far, Inflection Point Ventures has invested over INR 720 Cr across 200+ startups

Wundrsight, a Digital Therapeutics startup has secured $400K in seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures. Social Alpha has also joined the round along with other angel investors. This investment will enable Wundrsight to expand its network of hospital and clinic partnerships across India and accelerate the development of its innovative VR-based mental health solutions.

Wundrsight is first in India to build Virtual Reality and AI based therapy platform for mental healthcare management Established in 2022, the company focuses on digitising and standardising mental health therapy using the immersive nature of Virtual Reality (VR). Their mission is to deliver accessible, effective, and personalized care for various mental, behavioral and neurocognitive health conditions, including Substance Use Disorders, OCD, Anxiety, Phobia, Autism, Dementia and more. They have also been backed by Meta (Facebook parent), DLabs at Indian School of Business, IIT Mandi Catalyst, NASSCOM and others.

Raunak Swarnkar, Co-founder & CEO, an IIT GN-Alumni, brings over 5 years of experience leading product development across AI/ML, B2B SaaS, and R&D in Neuroscience and medical devices, with previous roles at TCS R&D, IBM, and RedSeer Consulting. Nishtha Budhiraja, Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer, a psychologist with 10+ years of experience, has worked with over 5000 patients and holds a degree from the University of Essex, with prior clinical leadership roles at Loop Health, Cult.Fit. Together, they are on a mission to build technology to solve for the current inefficiencies in delivering quality mental healthcare treatment to patients.

Vikram Ramasubramanian, Partner, Inflection Point Ventures says, “The mental health crisis is more alarming than ever; solving it with just traditional methods is often limited to accessibility, personalized treatment, and engagement. Many people start therapy but frequently drop off due to ineffective retention and engagement strategies. Wundrsight is at the forefront of addressing these issues by bringing in digital therapeutic and mixed reality technology like Virtual Reality to create personalized, immersive, and effective mental health care experiences. VR augments current solutions, helping to retain and engage users more effectively, ensuring they achieve their results. At IPV, we believe in Wundrsight’s vision to make mental wellness accessible to all through technological innovation.”

Wundrsight stands out with its passionate team, boasting decades of experience in mental healthcare and cutting-edge product development. Wundrsight’s VR solutions have already proven successful in reducing therapy session times by up to 30%, saving time and money while delivering superior patient outcomes. With a focus on evidence-based practices, they're pioneering VR therapy in India, backed by CDSCO Registration, ISO certifications and CTRI-registered clinical trials.

Currently operating in 3 metro cities, they have already secured contracts with over 5 hospitals, with additional partnerships with leading private and government hospitals underway. Offering more than 6 VR therapy products, the startup has successfully treated over 1000 patients across various mental health conditions, including Substance Use Disorders, OCD, Anxiety, Phobia, and Autism, with clinician-administered therapies.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in mental health care, especially now as innovative software-based medical devices are getting regulatory approvals for prescriptions,” said Raunak Swarnkar, Co-Founder & CEO of Wundrsight. “Hospitals and clinics globally face immense pressure to provide high-quality, scalable mental health services despite a shortage of clinicians. Our VR-based solutions not only reduce the need for medication but also enhance clinician efficiency, allowing for safe, standardized and effective treatments. This funding will help us expand our reach and impact in India and APAC. We look forward to entering the US market next where VR therapy has received CPT codes for reimbursement from insurance providers.”

India Mental Health Market Valuation is projected to reach approximately USD 62.86 billion by 2032, up from USD 6.89 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28.16%. 

Wundrsight is a mental health startup building VR-based Digital Therapeutics solutions for improving patient treatment outcomes and augmenting clinician workflow. Founded in 2022 by Raunak Swarnkar and Nishtha Budhiraja, the startup aims to revolutionise how therapy is delivered by digitising therapeutic protocols for specific mental health conditions using Virtual Reality.

Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) is an angel investing platform with over 14,000+ CXOs, HNIs, and Professionals to together invest in startups. The firm supports new-age entrepreneurs by providing them with monetary & experiential capital and connecting them with a diverse group of investors.

With the launch of Physis Capital, a $50 million fund, IPV is committed to backing growth-stage startups from pre-Series A to Series B.

HealthTech MediBuddy Secures $18 Mn in Funding from Existing Investors Quadria Capital, Lightrock and TEAMFund

MediBuddy Secures $18 Million Funding to Drive Strategic Acquisitions and Continued Expansion

Existing Investors Quadria Capital, Lightrock, and Teamfund demonstrates confidence with reinvestment

MediBuddy, India's largest digital healthcare platform, secures additional funding of $18 million, reaffirming unwavering support from the existing investors Quadria Capital, Lightrock, and TEAMFund. This infusion of equity capital, amplifies MediBuddy's steadfast dedication to growth and expansion through strategic acquisitions.

In February 2022, MediBuddy raised an impressive $125 million during the Series C funding. The recent additional funding puts MediBuddy in a solid position to navigate the current landscape and achieve its ambitious growth targets over the next three years. A formidable portion of these funds shall be meticulously channelled into strategic acquisitions and fortifying its existing offerings, synergistically harmonising with MediBuddy's visionary trajectory and enabling exponential growth.

Mr. Satish Kannan, Co-Founder and CEO of MediBuddy, said, "Our continued partnership with all our investors has been instrumental in MediBuddy's growth and is helping us solve India's healthcare needs. MediBuddy's growth trajectory has consistently achieved a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 95.5% over the past three years. The additional funds will be critical in driving our strategic acquisition initiatives, further expanding our reach, and enhancing the depth and breadth of our services. At MediBuddy, our constant endeavour has been to make high quality healthcare accessible to a billion people. This move further solidifies our stance as a market leader in the digital healthcare landscape."

This growth has been fuelled by its presence in both Corporate and Retail domains. Two of MediBuddy’s recent strategic acquisitions, such as Clinix, an online medical consultation platform focusing on rural India, and US-based Aetna Inc’s vHealth by Aetna business (Indian Health Organization Pvt Ltd), have further amplified its presence in the healthcare domain.

As MediBuddy continues to stride confidently towards sustained profitability, this recent funding reinforces its status as a frontrunner in the health-tech industry. MediBuddy helps 35,000+ users every day, and critical factors such as easy access to a specialist doctor in 10 minutes, 24/7, 365 days a year, increased convenience, prompt delivery of services, and widespread awareness have sparked a visible growth in online doctor consultations for the platform. MediBuddy currently has an existing customer base of 3 Cr+ Indians. The company's ability to secure substantial funding and maintain a balanced growth trajectory is a testament to its vision and operational excellence.

MediBuddy has always been at the forefront of India’s digital healthcare transformation. The digital healthcare platform has a partner network of 90,000+ doctors across 22+ specialities, 7,100+ hospitals and clinics, 4,000+ diagnostic centres, 2,500+ pharmacies along with a team size of 2200+ members. It has created an integrated healthcare ecosystem that offers patients seamless access anytime and anywhere in 10 minutes. With its healthcare services available in 16 Indian languages to enable customer-friendly consultation, MediBuddy is bridging the Urban-Rural quality healthcare divide. MediBuddy offers online and offline doctor consultations, medicine delivery, lab tests at home, mental health consultations, surgery care, among other healthcare services.

Mykare Health Secures $2.01 Mn in Seed Funding, Propelling Its Mission To Simplify Healthcare Experience for Indian and Global Patients from Middle Income Groups

The Company plans to leverage the funding to offer improved patient care, and build a robust team to support its enhanced care delivery

Mykare Health, a digital health startup with a greater vision to build India’s largest asset-light, affordable and standardised hospital network focused on delivering quality healthcare experience to India's middle class segment, has raised USD 2.01 Million in a seed funding round. The round saw participation from renowned investors such as OnDeck ODX - US, Avaana Seed, Huddle, Endurance Capital, F Health, VeritasX, Stanford Angels,  Phoenix Angels, Ajit Mohan (Founding CEO, Hotstar & Former MD, Meta India), Nitish Mittersain (Joint Managing Director, Nazara Technologies), Hari TN (Ex-BigBasket), Arjun Vaidya (Founder, Dr. Vaidya’s), Sean (Hyunil) Sohn (CEO, Krafton), Niraj Karia , Ankit Tandon (Global CBO and CEO, OYO), Nikhil Jaisinghani (Executive Director, Polycab India), Dr Deepu Sebin (Ex-CEO & Founder, DailyRounds), Vikas Garg (Ex-CFO, Paytm), Rahul Nagar (Ex-VP, Paytm), Himanshu Arora (Ex Gaana), and Bhavya Shah - MD, Ark Impact, amongst others. The freshly raised capital will be deployed towards elevating the overall patient experience and bolstering talent acquisition efforts.

Co-founder & CEO of Mykare Health, Senu Sam comes with an illustrious career of 13 years in healthcare, having worked with leading hospital chains and conceptualised two other start-ups. Hailing from a humble village, he fought against all odds to emerge as a successful entrepreneur. At a time when his father required treatment in a medium-sized hospital, he recognised the magnitude of hurdles faced by patients due to the operational inefficacy of the hospitals and fragmented treatment journey offered by them. This includes the identification of right doctors and hospitals, long waiting lines, getting transparent treatment pricing, managing insurance process and addressing the fear to undergo a surgery. His extensive market research further revealed that numerous small and medium-sized hospitals in India — which cover 80% of India’s healthcare facilities — struggled to get visibility, trust, consequently lacking sufficient patient footfall. This leads to a severe underutilisation of such hospitals’ resources and expertise. These existing white spaces in the healthcare sector led Senu, his co-founders - Rahmatulla TM, CTO and Joash Philipose, CPO, and team to introduce Mykare Health, devoted to offering unmitigated healthcare services at affordable prices, to the middle-class population of the country.

Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) like India contribute only 6% to the total 313 million procedures conducted annually worldwide, and about 143 million additional surgical procedures are required to meet the need of saving lives and preventing disabilities in these countries, as per the existing report on the inadequacy of surgeries in LMICs by the Lancet.

Commenting on how Mykare Health aims at alleviating surgery induced fear leading to inadequate number of surgeries in India, Senu Sam, CEO & Co-Founder, Mykare Health said, “Factors such as dearth of administrative and pricing transparency, skyrocketing healthcare cost, poor patient to hospital ratio, and paucity of quality care, are the key reasons causing surgery related fear amongst patients, resulting in treatment delays and poor quality of life. We aim to mitigate these challenges through a patient-first approach. We are committed to serve every common, middle class person in India and cross-border with seamless experience, affordable and quality care. In addition, we are also empowering the small and mid-sized hospitals to improve their visibility and trust, with an aim to strengthen their patient footfalls. Through adequate support, these hospitals can significantly reduce India’s uneven patient to hospital ratio.”

Mykare Health empowers patients and their families through an integrated ecosystem, taking care of every aspect, starting from selecting an appropriate facility and ensuring transparent pricing to managing paperwork, coordinating insurance, providing transportation services, facilitating communication with doctors to understand their procedures, coordinating hospital admission & discharge, and the post-care support. Mykare’s trained and experienced counsellors are available on site to handhold patients to overcome the fright related to lack of funds and transparency, and make their healthcare journey seamless.

The Company also offers a breakthrough proposition for small and medium-sized hospitals, with an aim to eliminate the underutilisation of their infrastructure and the skills of the doctors working in these facilities. This improved trust and visibility for Mykare’s network facilities and doctors, significantly adding to patient footfalls, thereby ensuring credibility, as well as a stable revenue for them.

Speaking on Huddle’s investment in Mykare Health, Founding Partner Sanil Sachar said, “Mykare Health's vision to standardise, streamline and optimise the existing healthcare infrastructure is truly transformative. Given its purpose-led proposition for the middle income segment, as well as small and medium-sized hospitals, we hold a strong belief in its growth potential. By prioritising quality, accessibility and transparency, Mykare Health is not only poised to penetrate the length and breadth of India but also make an impact on a global level.”

In 2023, Mykare Health plans to double down on the cities of South India, with a vision to ensure the low and middle income groups of the country get better experience and transparency in healthcare.

About Mykare Health

Founded in 2021, Mykare Health is building the largest asset-light, affordable and standardised hospital network focused on delivering quality healthcare experience to India's middle class segment. The value propositions of the Company include 24x7 quality care, complete price transparency, zero-cost financing options, logistics, insurance and administrative support — solving the problem of information, accessibility and financing in the industry. In the last one year, Mykare Health has touched the lives of 85000+ patients and has become operational in 12+ Indian cities with 200+ hospital tie-ups. Within a short span of a year, Mykare Health has been recognised as Tie Kerala Best Startup of the Year, SLP Best Startup of the Year, Headstart 23 startups to watch, KMA Best Startup of the Year, Inc42 Best Startup To Watch, Naturals Best Startup and Business Connect Best Startup, 2023. The founder, Senu Sam is the recipient of the Times 40 Under 40 Award.

1st Global Digital Health Summit Builds a Roadmap for Digital Health Tools Usage to Achieve Universal Health Coverage

Global healthcare practitioners, leaders, policymakers and think tanks have come under one roof to discuss ideas and implement new guidelines about the usage of digital health tools in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic at the recently concluded debut edition of Global Digital Health Summit. The two-day summit saw six-panel discussions and masterclasses, which were attended by over 1500 delegates from 35 countries and ambassadors from nine nations.

The inaugural edition of the summit was organised in association with The Global Health Connector Partnership (American Telemedicine Association, HLTH, European Connected Health Alliance, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, African Health Federation, The Digital Health Society, Health Parliament), The International Society for Telemedicine & Health, Switzerland, and Internet Governance Forum- Dynamic Coalition on Digital Health. It was graced by Dr Jitendra Singh, MBBS, MD, Hon’ble Union Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of India. Dr Singh has revealed that in the next five years, India will witness an 80% increase in investment in digital healthcare tools.

“Under PM Modi’s leadership, healthcare has become more focused on innovation and technology over the past few years. 80% of healthcare systems are aiming to increase their investment in digital healthcare tools in the coming five years. Indian innovators are developing pathbreaking health-tech products and solutions. The government is applying these digital health developments through the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission,” he said.

Dr Vinod Paul, Member-Health, NITI Aayog, Government of India, said during the coronavirus pandemic, digital health tools have touched the lives of every Indian through teleconsultation, e-pharmacies and self-monitoring health applications.

“Our government is leaving no stone unturned to scale up the technology for people’s better health. Digital health has made remarkable progress in the last couple of years. Using digital health tools, 900 million Covid tests have been done, and 69 million teleconsultations have taken place. We have witnessed mission-driven progress in healthcare,” said Dr Paul.

Mr Jon Warner, US President ORCHA Health, put a special impetus on the usage of emerging technologies entailing 5G, AI, Gaming, and Metaverse in the development of healthcare facilities in India.

“To have extensive universal healthcare coverage in India, it has become essential that we integrate emerging technologies in our healthcare practices. India rolled out 5G earlier this month, which could be a game changer in the healthcare industry. We can implement a 5G-enabled ambulance, which can be equipped with the latest medical equipment, patient monitoring applications and telemetry devices that can transmit the patient health data to a hospital in real-time. This will strengthen the emergency care services in India,” added Mr Warner.

Dr Patricia Mechael, Co-founder of Global Digital Health Index, highlighted the challenges in data sharing and accessibility, which play an important role in delivering high-quality patient care.

“It provides clinicians with immediate access to patient records, including medical history, test results and relevant information provided by other clinicians. With access to the right data, clinicians can deliver exceptional healthcare by making informed decisions substantially faster, reducing wait times and contributing to providing better healthcare at a better cost. However, access to clean, complete, and accurate data for use is still an ongoing battle in the healthcare sector. This needs to be addressed immediately,” said Mechael.

“The summit has been an astounding success, and we see great synergy and forthcoming collaborations with international and nationally acclaimed leading healthcare practitioners, researchers, govt officials, and academics to ensure the Digitalization of healthcare. We look forward to many successful outcomes that have been part of various discourses during the summit. This Summit has paved the way for Digital Health For All by 2028, and there is an unprecedented consensus on how digital health will be the future of India and that India can lead the world in Digital Health,” said Dr Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Co-Chair of Global Digital Health Summit, Expo & Innovation Awards.

Ms Vidadala Rajini, Minister for Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, presented the revolutionary measures taken by the State government in the healthcare field. She also unveiled a logo on “Women for Digital Health”.

The summit concluded with a glitzy global digital health innovation award, where healthcare innovators were recognised for their relentless efforts. The segment also celebrated and encouraged others to become innovators.

India is All Set to Host the 1st Global Digital Health Summit, This Month

The Global Digital Health Summit, Expo & Innovation Awards will be held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on 28th & 29th October 2022

India will host the first-ever Global Digital Health Summit at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. The inaugural edition will be attended by Hon'ble Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. The Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Commonwealth Secretary-General, will also deliver a special keynote address besides some of the tallest leaders in the world in Digital Health gracing this summit. The two-day conclave will address the key issues critical to building a Digital Ecosystem aiming at Digital Health for All' and how professionals and organizations can adopt digital technologies. The summit will address the crucial issue of Return on Investment (ROI) in Digital Health, barriers to adoption for small healthcare organizations and individual clinicians, and discuss how the metaverse, gaming, and 5G will transform healthcare.

The event is organized in association with the world's foremost digital health associations viz, The Global Health Connector Partnership (American Telemedicine Association, HLTH, European Connected Health Alliance, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, African Health Federation, The Digital Health Society, Health Parliament), The International Society for Telemedicine & Health, Switzerland, and Internet Governance Forum- Dynamic Coalition on Digital Health. Some of the important leaders and healthcare practitioners who are likely to be part of the summit include:

The co-chairperson, Mr. Brian O'Connor, explains, "We believe this summit will provide a matchless opportunity for learning, meeting the top-notch leader, and contributing to Digital Health. Those working in healthcare need to adopt digitalization, be it; clinicians or professionals working in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, hospitals, and insurance. Everyone needs to plan their forays for digitalization before it's too late!"

Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta, Chairman- Dynamic Coalition on Digital Health, IGF - United Nations, said, "India achieved the rare feat of delivering about 2 billion COVID vaccinations all because of a digital platform - COWIN. India will likely become the world's most advanced healthcare system, with the latest technology tools deployed across care delivery.

Adopting digitalization in healthcare will not only help the patients but will also benefit healthcare providers across the country. As the world adopts digitalization across the continuum of care, it is time to set the goal of "Digital' Health for All," Dr. Gupta further added.

The summit is also accompanied by an award presentation to recognize the outstanding contributions and innovations in this field. The Global Digital Health Innovation Awards are open to all Healthcare providers from the public and private sectors, including start-ups working in the field of Digital Health. The awards will follow the nomination process and shall be presented to the winners on 29th October 2022.

Developed with a global advisory board comprising the world's foremost leaders, the summit will witness the presence of the global leaders in digital health and the movers and shakers of healthcare from across the USA, European Union, Africa, U.K., and Southeast Asia. The proceedings of the summit will be captured in the form of the outcomes report, which shall lay a roadmap for digital adoption in the future.

About GDHS 2022:

Global Digital Health Summit is being hosted by the Health Parliament (an SBU of Digital Health Associates). The summit has flown in some of the world's tallest leaders in this field.

Digital Health Associates is a pioneering Digital Health Start-up founded by the world's topmost leader in Digital Health and former advisor to the Union Health Minister, Dr. Rajendra Pratap Gupta. He is credited with many path-breaking initiatives in Digital Health Across the globe. The summit GDHS 2022 aims to showcase India's success story to the world and bring the world's best practices to India.

Website: https://globalsummit.health/

DRiefcase Becomes India’s 1st NHA Approved PHR (Personal Health Records) App for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Roll-Out

DRiefcase, India’s first ABDM( Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) integrated health locker, has now become the first PHR (Personal Health Records) app to be approved by the National Health Authority (NHA) for Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) roll-out. ABDM is a digital framework that will connect patients, doctors and other healthcare stakeholders nationwide to facilitate safe and secure movement of health information.

First announced by PM Modi in August 2020, ABDM will take India closer to universal health coverage. In this journey towards healthcare for every Indian, DRiefcase will now enable users to share health information under the ABDM framework with doctors and healthcare service providers.

Commenting on the approval, Sohit Kapoor, Founder & Director, DRiefcase, “Digital technology will be the springboard for India’s leap into an integrated healthcare ecosystem that delivers better quality care, superior patient experience, faster insurance processing, and ultimately universal health coverage. As India’s first app to be approved for ABDM roll-out, we are cognizant of the trust placed not only in our technology but also our vision to bridge the information gap that is holding back the potential of our healthcare sector."

This integration will now allow users to create their own Ayushman Bharat Health Account (or ABHA address), and ensure that the created medical records are issued to the correct individual or accessed by a health information user only after proper consent is granted. This will ensure safe and efficient flow of information and hence bridge the information gap that exists between patients and caregivers, and through them, the other stakeholders in the ecosystem, such as pharma companies, insurance companies and governments. Users will also be able to link existing records in their health locker into ABDM. Thus, DRiefcase will be the first platform in India to provide a fully integrated user-side experience of the ABDM.

Patients can download the DRiefcase mobile app for free from the App Store or from Google’s Play Store to upload, store and share their medical records.

About DRiefcase

DRiefcase is a pioneer in management of digital medical records, helping users manage their medical records for more than 5 years now. DRiefcase provides secure, easy-to-use access to personal health records, enabling users to maintain their family medical records online and access them anytime in a matter of seconds. It is a patient-centric platform with unmatched focus on personal health records, ensuring ease of upload and fast retrieval of records. DRiefcase is the only health locker in India which has teams that can scan all your records for you, including radiology reports such as X-rays and MRIs, at your house itself.

Digital Health Shatters Funding Records with $15 Bn and 136 M&A Transactions in 1H 2021, Reports Mercom Capital Group

Sphygmomanometer

Mercom Capital Group, llc, a global communications and research firm, released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity for the Digital Health sector for the second quarter (Q2) and first half (1H) of 2021. Mercom's comprehensive report covers deals of all sizes from across the globe.

Global VC funding for Digital Health companies in 1H 2021 shattered all previous 1H funding records, with $15 billion. Funding activity was up by 138% during 1H 2021, compared to $6.3 billion raised in 1H 2020.

Corporate funding into digital health companies, including VC, public market financing, and debt, totaled $19 billion in 1H 2021.

In Q2 2021, Digital Health companies raised a record $7.7 billion in 195 deals, a 7% increase quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) compared to $7.2 billion raised in 179 deals in Q1 2021. Year-over-year (YoY) funding was up by 175% compared to $2.8 billion in 161 deals in Q2 2020.

50 digital health companies raised $100 million or more in 1H 2021.

"The digital health sector had a spectacular first half of 2021. Venture investments in digital health during 1H 2021 have already surpassed funding raised in all of 2020 and is the largest amount raised in a single year since 2010. Telehealth again led funding activity, accounting for almost 30% of the funding raised in 1H 2021. An even more impressive data point in the first half of the year was the record M&A activity, which has been flat in previous quarters despite the funding surge. A record 12 companies went public during the first six months of the year," said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.

Digital Health consumer-centric companies accounted for 69% of the funding in Q2 2021, raising $5.3 billion in 129 deals, while practice-centric companies accounted for 31%, raising $2.4 billion in 66 deals.

The top-funded Digital Health VC funded categories in 1H 2021 were: Telemedicine with $4.2 billion, Wellness with $1.7 billion, mHealth Apps with $1.6 billion, Analytics with $1.5 billion, and Clinical Decision Support with $1.1 billion.

Telemedicine companies raised $4.2 billion in 105 deals in 1H 2021, a 147% increase in YoY compared to $1.7 billion raised in 79 deals in 1H 2020.

Top categories that received funding in Q2 2021 included Telemedicine with $2.2 billion, Wellness with $1.1 billion, mHealth Apps with $667 million, Analytics with $565 million, Practice Management Solutions with $480 million, and Clinical Decision Support with $434 million.

Early round venture capital funding (Seed, Series A) came to $1.6 billion in 1H 2021. Most of the VC funding in early rounds went into Telemedicine, mHealth Apps, and Data Analytics companies.

Seven hundred and seven (707) investors participated in funding deals in Q2 2021 compared to 547 investors in Q1 2021. General Catalyst led Digital Health financing activity during Q2 2021 with 11 funding rounds. Oak HC/FT and Optum Ventures each made six investments, and another 100 investors made two or more investments during Q2 2021.

A record 1,254 investors participated in 1H 2021, compared to 921 investors in 1H 2020.

The Top VC deals in 1H 2021 included $540 million raised by Noom, $500 million raised by Roman, $360 million raised by Keep, and $300 million each raised by Capsule, KRY, and Hinge Health.

Twenty-one different countries recorded Digital Health VC funding deals in Q2 2021. Companies in the United States recorded the most VC funding deals with 148.

Sixteen (16) Digital Health products received FDA/CE approvals in Q2 2021 and 279 since Q1 2017.

In 1H 2021, a total of 136 Digital Health M&A transactions were announced compared to 83 in 1H 2020. This is the highest number of M&A transactions recorded in the first half of any year. In Q2 2021, there were 73 M&A transactions compared to 63 M&A transactions in Q1 2021.

Telemedicine companies led M&A activity in 1H 2021 with 25 transactions, followed by Practice Management Solutions companies with 20 transactions. Analytics, Clinical Decision Support, and mHealth Apps each recorded 10 M&A transactions during 1H 2021.

Notable M&A transactions in 1H 2021 were: 

1. Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance for $19.7 billion, 
2. Optum's acquisition of Change Healthcare for $13 billion, 
3. Datavant's acquisition of Ciox Health for $7 billion, 
4. KKR's acquisition of Therapy Brands for $1.5 billion, 
5. Boston Scientific's acquisition of Preventice Solutions for $925 million.

This report is 126 pages in length, contains 70 charts, graphs, and tables, and covers 1,052 investors and companies.

To learn more about the report, visit: https://mercomcapital.com/1h-q2-2021-healthcare-it-digital-health-funding-and-ma-report-form

Mercom Capital Group, llc, is a global communications and consulting firm focused on Digital Health (Healthcare IT), cleantech, and financial communications. Mercom also delivers highly respected industry market intelligence reports covering Digital Health. Our reports provide timely industry happenings, ahead-of-the-curve analysis for C-level decision making and help with fundraising strategies for companies and uncover potential funding opportunities for investors. Mercom's communications division helps companies and financial institutions build powerful relationships with media, analysts, government decision-makers, local communities, and strategic partners. For more information about Mercom Capital Group, visit: http://www.mercomcapital.com. To get a copy of Mercom's popular weekly market intelligence reports, visit: http://www.mercomcapital.com/digitalhealthsubscribe

Navia Launches Smart EMR to Digitize Doctors' Prescription

Aims to digitize doctors' conventional practices and capture a user-base of 25000+ doctors and 3 million patients in the next 12 months.

Gurugram, March 2021: Navia Life Care, one of the most trusted smart healthcare providers has recently launched Navia Smart EMR 2.0 with an aim to advance and digitize doctors' practice with digital prescriptions. The product is an advanced version of Navia Smart EMR – an integrated platform that allows doctors to create digital prescriptions and provides real-time conversation with patients.

Navia Life Care is one of the leading and most trusted brands among doctors in India. With more than 8000 doctors from across 400 cities, the innovative health-tech company evolves the conventional practices of doctors. Furthermore, over 72 percent of patients prefer Digital Prescriptions compared to paper ones. This helps Navia to leverage opportunities to digitize doctors' practices for their operational efficiency and better patient outcomes.

"After working with 1000s of doctors for the last 3-4 years and driving lots of insights from them, we started working on Navia Smart EMR 2.0. It took us almost 1 year to bring this product to market which involves testing the product with users at each stage. The Navi Smart EMR is a tailor-made product made in line with user behaviour and user needs. We are really excited to launch this product," said Kunal Kishore Dhawan.

Navia Smart EMR 2.0 boasts advanced features that offer single-click access to a patient's medical and family history to doctors. This results in providing up-to-date and complete health information about the patients for more coordinated and efficient care. Integrated with Artificial Intelligence, the product provides effective clinical decision support. Further, it provides faster Rx and also saves commonly used Rx as templates and repeat with a click.

The newly launched version of the product has Whatsapp integration that also enables doctors to share educational videos and prescriptions with patients for effective care. Additionally, the product leverages new-age technologies and analytics to track the practice with readymade reports at fingertips like OPD Highlights, VC Highlights, Prescription insights, etc. With Smart EMR 2.0, doctors also get free 500 SMS for enhanced patient engagement.
Navia Smart EMR 2.0 is based on licensing models with an annual subscription fee chargeable from doctors, hospitals, institutions, and enterprises such as pharma and insurance. Moreover, it is available in 10 regional languages to acquire an expansive base of doctors across the country. With superior and rich features, Navia Life Care plans to onboard 25000+ new doctors and 3 million patients in the next 12 months.

About Navia Life Care


Navia Life Care is a digital health company focusing on improved patient care, experience and communication. Navia's solutions include a Smart EMR which is voice-enabled, along with handwriting recognition to digitize records, along with an AI-powered queue management system and an advanced data analytics and insights platform.

MedTech to Take Advantage of Digital Health Platform as a Service Model to Accelerate Digital Transformation across the Healthcare Industry

A proven, compliant platform can expedite market entry and optimize time and effort without building competencies internally, finds Frost & Sullivan

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MedTech and Life Sciences companies are transitioning beyond biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and equipment to provide end-to-end solutions across the patient care continuum. The theme that runs through all these efforts is healthcare data; however, healthcare data management and analysis capabilities are difficult to procure. A domain-specific Platform as a Service (PaaS) that offers an easy to connect, secure, and compliant cloud and edge environment for secure data access and sharing among multiple stakeholders can be the secret sauce to a seamless digital transformation and rapid return on investment.

Frost & Sullivan's white paper, MedTech Industry Leverages Platform as a Service (PaaS) to Overcome Hurdles, Capitalize on Big Data and Truly Embrace Digital Transformation, discusses the various platform approaches that are available to support MedTech vendors in their digital transformation efforts. It analyzes the advantages of a platform approach for managing healthcare data from multiple sources; leveraging applications that enable MedTech companies to offer value to healthcare providers, professionals, and patients beyond their products and services; and contributing to improved outcomes.

To download the complimentary white paper, please visit: http://frost.ly/4pa

"teamplay has realistically opened up the options for R&D and digital transformation teams, within MedTech and Pharma companies, as they embark on programs relying on access to data and the ability to assimilate the same. This Digital Health Platform and its offerings help reduce the conundrum, that has plagued decision-makers, of investing in their own infrastructure that needs to remain relevant over time, " explained Siddharth Saha, Vice President, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Frost & Sullivan. "The tried and tested platform offers first-mile connectivity and last-mile data access. It allows MedTech companies to operate across multiple clinical specialties and geographies by leveraging Siemens Healthineers' experience in navigating market complexities and regulatory compliances."

"teamplay can be the first choice for MedTech and Pharma companies looking for industry-specific digital infrastructure to accelerate their digital transformation journeys," noted Manish Marotkar | Head - Platform as a Service Business, Siemens Healthineers. "As the world slowly emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased appetite and appreciation for digital tools and technologies that can make healthcare personal and precise. With teamplay, we want to accelerate the digital transformations across the healthcare industry by offering an easy to connect, secure, and compliant infrastructure."

teamplay harnesses Siemens Healthineers' vertical expertise in imaging, regulatory compliance, infrastructure availability, and customer base to support its connectivity and data access capabilities. It presents MedTech companies with a range of competitive advantages, such as:

 

• Access to healthcare data generated by a wide variety of data sources. teamplay uses healthcare data from multiple sources to drive digital transformation efforts and evaluate the performance of products to aid R&D.
• Being future-ready by accessing and aggregating specific datasets.
• Compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and different interoperability standards (technical and semantical) to help clients address data privacy concerns while handling personal healthcare information.
• Expansion into adjacent markets and clinical specialties. Widen geographic footprint without having to go through extensive regulatory, compliance, privacy, and security assessments.
• Leverage the potential of data from existing networks, interconnections, and customer base. This opens up opportunities to collaborate among partners and build applications together.

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. 

DOC AID - Your Online Doctor

KOLKATA, India , Jan. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Doc Aid is a British Online platform by Lam Aid Ltd. (An UK based MNC, pioneering in web based and hybrid mobile based applications, in diversified domains) connecting and promoting the World Class Doctors on one platform, serving the world on your finger tips and offers the services of British Doctor @ USD $ 25 - $ 80 , Indian, Pakistani & Asian Doctors @ USD $2 - $10 , Gulf Doctors @ USD $20 - $100 , American & European Doctor @ USD $ 30 - $100

By connecting and promoting all Consultant Doctors , Doctors , Health Professionals, Clinics and Hospitals to serve the world at the crucial stage during the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in more than 180 countries.

INDIA , JAN 03, 2021 - Doc Aid App /Portal and its Services was launched on 26th March 2020, wherein more than 350 numbers of World Class Experienced and Qualified Consultant Doctors , Doctors and Healthcare Professionals worldwide, are already registered with us.

Now our Consultant Doctors, Doctors and Healthcare Professionals are serving the patients worldwide.

This app allows patients from all over the world to avail competitive healthcare assistance from the Renowned Doctors and Healthcare Professionals, globally. Major features of this online appointment booking platform include the following:

• Patients can book an online appointment with registered Healthcare Professionals and ask health related questions. 
• The Doctors and Healthcare Professionals, registered with us are highly credible and authentic as we follow a stringent KYC Verification Process. After properly verifying their documents, credentials etc, they are registered with us. 
• Patients can compare the Consultation fees among the Doctors of their choice and go for the best Service offered in lieu of the best Value. 
• Doc Aid will be helpful in the quarantine regions where people are not allowed to come out of their homes and are at high risk of being exposed to Covid-19 . During their self-quarantine period, Doc Aid app/portal provides ability to patients and doctors to conduct live online consultation from any location using Smartphone, Apple Phone or Computer. This App would definitely prove highly beneficial to our Senior Citizens who are highly susceptible to this infection. 
• Doc Aid app also provides the ability to patients to access their health records online from anywhere at any time, compare OPD fee before making online appointment, and search doctor by using search option by specifying the necessary fields. What we are offering:

DOC AID - You Online Doctor - A British MNC, Brings you the world best doctors on one platform:

British Doctor @ USD $ 25 - $ 80

Indian, Pakistani & Asian Doctors @ USD $ 2 - $ 10

Gulf Doctors @ USD $ 20 - $ 100

American & European Doctor @ USD $ 30 - $ 100

Avail

- Live Consultation

- Online Appointment Booking

- Prescription

Save USD $ 2500 - $ 4000 on travel cost. Our Android Mobile App is available at:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.docaid

Our iOS Mobile App is available at:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/doc-aid-your-online-doctor/id1497416401?ls=1

For any information or any other queries: -

Emails: help@docaid.online

Website: https://docaid.online/

Registration details:

There are two options, for the patients, on this platform:

1. FREE Registration for Medical Practitioners, Organizations and Patients . This allows Online Live Consultations and Prescriptions on Doctors Regular Fees.
2. Subscription packages for Patients: That range from $15 /month to $60 /year. Being a patient, if you avail any of these subscription packages, you will get 10% DISCOUNT  per APPOINTMENT/ Consultation.

Please do register today and avail this unique opportunity to get served, right at your home .

Doc Aid is an online appointment booking platform that provides the facility of online prescription and consultation to patients having symptoms of Covid-19 infection or patients suffering from any other health related disorder. 

Lam Aid ltd. Believes in mutual growth so would like to invite potential Investors, Partners, Distributors, Resellers, Brand Promotion Partners and others across the Globe into the multinational growing global company providing IT / ICT (Online platform) related Systems and Services. The brief about the kind of services and product is mentioned in the companies catalogue and corporate website https://www.lamaid.org/

Social Media Handles: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/docaidonline
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/lamaidlimited/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamaidlimited/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lamaidlimited
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamaidlimited/

About DOC AID

DOC AID  - Your Online Doctor is a British Online platform by Lam Aid Ltd. A UK based MNC, pioneering in web based and hybrid mobile based applications, in diversified domains.

1mg Gears Up to Fight Second COVID-19 Wave

Taking the surging COVID-19 cases in account, 1mg.com- India’s leading digital healthcare platform is gearing up to tackle the spread by providing a gamut of COVID-19 tests at home such as COVID-19 RT-PCR test, COVID antibody test as well as COVID home monitoring. 

1mg has partnered with ICMR approved labs to conduct these tests. They engage their trained phlebotomists who follow all the necessary protocols & precautions before and after home sample collection to ensure 100% hygiene & safety. To further restrict physical contact to a bare minimum, the test reports are shared online. Furthermore, 1mg also provides a free online doctor consultation post the test.

Talking about the services, Mr. Ankur Gigras, VP-Ecommerce at 1mg, said, “We cover most of the tier one and tier two cities across the length and breadth of India and maintain price parity with whatever the Govt has mandated in different states. We have come up with multiple innovative models since the start of the pandemic like mobile sample collection vans, hygienic sample collection booths, etc., and have also partnered with multiple Govt. authorities and non-profits to provide testing access to as many people as we can.”

The second wave of COVID-19 has hit several parts of India while some regions like Delhi are experiencing a third wave of the infection. As of today, India recorded 32,981 fresh Covid cases with 391 deaths in 24 hours. By offering its services online and at home, 1mg is ensuring that people don’t have to stand in long queues, waiting for their turn when they are sick. Through this service, multiple family members can get tested at once from the comfort & safety of their home. The tests can easily be pre-scheduled online or through a toll free number.

Dr. Varun Gupta, VP-Medical Affairs at 1mg, said, “People should test as soon as they develop symptoms but sometimes testing is delayed by 5-7 days due to widespread stigma of COVID-19. Early diagnosis will not only help prevent spread of infection but will also ensure early medical intervention and prevent COVID related complications.”

All of 1mg’s services can be availed through their website, app or through a phone call.