Exclusive: MeraDoctor raises seed funding from IndiaQuotient

Mumbai-based mobile startup mHealth Ventures India Pvt Ltd, which runs an app under MeraDoctor that allows patients to consult doctors over text chats, has raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from IndiaQuotient along with a few leading angel investors.

MeraDoctor will use the funds to get patients on its platform and improve the user experience.

"IndiaQuotient's investment validates the unique approach we take — real-time, high-quality consultations from carefully vetted doctors. We've now done two lakh virtual doctor consultations for people from every corner of India," said Ajay Nair, co-founder and managing director of MeraDoctor.

MeraDoctor was co-founded by Nair and Gautam Ivatury in 2011. Nair is a physician and Harvard University graduate whereas Ivatury is co-founder of Signal Point Ventures and one of the early CFOs at SKS Microfinance, at one time India's top microlender.

It offered tele-consultations to patients before it ventured into the digital space in March this year. MeraDoctor's Android app has around 200,000 downloads so far and offers consultations to around 4,000-5,000 patients a day, Nair said.

"We started working on this four years ago and focused on telephonic care, but early this year made a big shift to digital. From March 2015, we have seen 40 per cent month-on-month growth, in terms of the number of people using it," he said.

MeraDoctor allows users to chat live and consult with a primary healthcare physician. Every patient gets one free consultation per month after which he/she is charged at Rs 150 per consultation and can keep getting free consultations by sharing the app with family and friends.

The company currently employs 35 people and plans to double its team over the next few months.

"What impressed us about MeraDoctor was the team's experience in this space and its focus on an ultra-simple chat experience to solve daily health issues. MeraDoctor is the WhatsApp for health today in India," said, Madhukar Sinha, partner at early stage VC firm IndiaQuotient.