‘Startup Doccla Secures $46 Million for European Expansion of Its ‘Hospital at Home’ Services’

Hospital bed scarcity is a critical challenge globally, a situation that intensifies during health crises or disasters. A startup named Doccla has emerged, utilizing innovative “virtual bed” technology to remotely monitor patients, facilitating early discharge or in some instances, avoiding hospitalization altogether. Having established a foothold in the U.K. and Ireland, the company has now secured £35 million ($46 million) for its expansion across Europe.

Lakestar spearheads this Series B investment round, with Elaia and various existing backers also contributing. This follows a $17 million Series A funding round that took place two years prior.

Engaging in a competitive landscape with entities like Graphnet and Huma, Doccla plans to use this infusion of funds to establish teams in new markets. Though initially focusing on securing contracts with health services, including various NHS Trusts in the U.K and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland for its virtual bed technology, Doccla is now also supporting virtual clinical trials for pharmaceuticals, aiming to develop a data analytics venture surrounding these ventures.

The inception of Doccla was significantly propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, with an urgent need to alleviate hospital congestion by adopting virtual bed solutions. As the world transitions back to normalcy, the company is strategically focusing on growth avenues that prioritize revenue. “Revenue-first is embedded in our ethos,” shared Doccla’s co-founder Martin Ratz during a discussion.

Doccla’s technology suite includes monitoring instruments and a mobile application pre-installed on a smartphone provided to the patients. This setup facilitates real-time data collection, seamlessly integrating into electronic health records for clinician access via a dashboard, also alerting medical staff about patients requiring urgent care. This model offers a dual benefit: reducing the burden on healthcare workers and ensuring patient safety at home.

Ratz revealed to TechCrunch a pragmatic strategy for market expansion, which involves securing a new client before officially launching in a new region. “Our approach involves selling first and then entering the market with a client’s support; this method was successfully executed in Germany,” he explained, indicating plans for Austria and France next, despite acknowledging the unique challenges in new markets, especially around reimbursement models.

In pharmaceutical research, Doccla’s home-based hospital technology is revolutionizing drug trials by minimizing or negating the need for physical clinic visits, facilitated by contract research organizations, thus streamlining the process. “We’re positioned to outperform traditional CROs by achieving faster, superior, and cost-effective outcomes,” Ratz asserted.

Despite a crowded marketplace for virtual hospital solutions, Doccla is confident that its device-agnostic stance will maintain its competitive edge.

Furthermore, despite the necessity of an application, Doccla prioritizes user-friendly design, featuring a straightforward interface, large fonts, and supports in-app communication and video consultations not only with clinic staff but also with Doccla’s own healthcare professionals.