Hospitals around the world regularly face bed shortages, a problem that can escalate to crisis point when a large-scale health scare or other disaster strikes. A startup called Doccla is using technology to address the problem: It’s building “virtual bed” technology to help doctors remotely manage patients who have been discharged early or, in some cases, never been to the hospital. After gaining traction in the U.K. and Ireland, it has now raised £35 million ($46 million) to expand into Europe.
Lakestar leads the Series B funding round; Elaia and several existing investors are also participating. The funding comes two years after Doccla raised $17 million in Series A.
Doccla, which competes with the likes of Graphnet and Huma, among others, will use the funding in part to hire local teams in new markets. And while the startup’s main focus so far has been on contracting healthcare services (including local NHS trusts in the UK and Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE)) for “virtual bed” technology for patients, it is also supporting virtual clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies – and has its sights set on building a data insights business around it all.
Doccla’s first start emerged out of the hurdles posed by COVID-19: A massive effort to keep more people out of hospitals to reduce pressure on resources led healthcare organizations to sign up for virtual bed solutions like Doccla’s to fill the gap. But as life began to return to normal, the startup also pursued more practical growth strategies. “It’s in our DNA to prioritize revenue,” Doccla co-founder Martin Ratz said in an interview.
At its core, Doccla’s service is organized around a set of monitoring devices that are provided to patients along with a mobile phone with its pre-loaded app. These are used to collect data that is uploaded directly to electronic medical records. Doctors view the data via a dashboard and receive special alerts when diagnostic readings require further attention – a strong selling point for overworked staff and peace of mind for patients at home.
Ratz told Tech News that he’s taken a very hands-on approach to entering new markets: He typically signs a contract with a new client there before doing so.
“We sell first and then we enter the market with the help of a customer – that’s exactly what happened in Germany,” he said in an interview, adding that he already has plans to do so in Austria and France. “Our aim is to replicate what we do in the UK (although) we recognise that the foundations of the (newer) markets are very different, particularly in terms of reimbursement,” he said.
In the pharmaceutical sector, Doccla’s “hospital at home” technology is being used in drug research. Specifically, during drug trials, Doccla is reducing or replacing the need for patients to physically visit clinics, typically run by third-party contract research organizations, to monitor their progress. “We can help do things faster, better and cheaper than traditional CROs,” Ratz said.
The market for virtual hospital solutions is becoming increasingly crowded, but Doccla believes details like being device-agnostic will help it stay on track.
Some of these features are on the product side. For example, unlike its competitor Whzan, known for its Blue Box, Doccla is device-agnostic. And while Doccla does require an app, it made sure to use a large font and simple interface. And “when data alone isn’t enough, the Doccla app connects patient and doctors with in-app messaging and video calls.” These doctors can also be Doccla’s own, especially outside of business hours and on weekends — another differentiator compared to some.
