South African digital healthcare startup, Quro Medical, has just secured $1.1 million in seed funding. This round was led by Kenyan and South African venture capitalist firms Enza Capital and Mohau Equity Partners.
This funding round is aimed at helping the startup scale its operations across South Africa and eventually the entire continent.
Founded in 2018 by Dr Vuyane Mhlomi and Zikho Pali, Quro Medical is based in Johannesburg and leverages technology to make healthcare more accessible and affordable.
Mhlomi grew up with parents who had chronic health issues and spent a lot of time waiting to see doctors and specialists. When the opportunity arrived, he left his hometown of Khayelitsha, a peri-urban community in the fringes of Cape Town, to study medicine at the University of Oxford and on returning, founding Quro Medical with a team of like-minded people became his response to an ailing healthcare system.
With COVID-19 placing a strain on traditional hospitals, the startup’s remote monitoring feature has been instrumental in helping patients stay home and recover without the added risk of possible infections from hospital visits. Quro Medical’s services have also helped reduce the load on medical workers.
According to Mhlomi, Quro Medical’s Co-Founder and CEO, the startup has recorded zero mortality since helping patients through the pandemic.
One testimonial video showed a patient who, thanks to the remote monitoring device, got a call from a medical professional regarding irregularities in his breathing even before he thought to reach out to them.
“We are focused on saving lives and enhancing patient care. The technology is the enabler, making all of this possible,” says Mhlomi. “This investment will enable us to accelerate our growth and meet the increased demand from our clients.”
Quro Medical currently has a database of close to 150 referring doctors and has over 90% of South African medical insurance schemes under their clients.
With access to Quro Medical’s Hospital at Home feature through their medical insurance, patients are able to receive round-the-clock care without breaking the bank.
In a conversation with Mhlomi, he said “Every evidence that’s out there has demonstrated that patients do better at home. Faster recovery, fewer risks to infections, patient satisfaction with care is higher, and sometimes clinical outcomes that are superior to conventional care. And this is why we’re driving the shift away from the hospital.”
Quro Medical has also partnered with MTN to enable better connectivity as a lot of their services, including real-time tracking of patient vitals, are dependent on sound internet connections.
On the investment and future of Quro Medical, Mhlomi said, “Enza and Mohau are seasoned investors with experience in scaling businesses like ours and helping them reach their full potential. We look forward to leveraging this experience in making Quro Medical a household name.”
“Vuyane, Zikho, and the exceptional Quro Medical team are redefining how world-class healthcare is delivered across Africa”, said Mike Mompi, Partner at Enza Capital.
“We are very excited to be invested in Quro, they are a dynamic management team, building out a global medical solution, that will showcase the ability of entrepreneurs on the African continent in advanced digital healthcare,” said Dr Penny Moumakwa, CEO, Mohau Equity Partners.
