This Bollywood couple have invested in health-tech firm WelcomeCure

Mumbai-based WelcomeCure Pvt. Ltd, an online homeopathic healthcare platform, has raised an undisclosed amount from Bollywood couple Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh and LC Singh, chief executive of IT services company Nihilent Technologies, a report in a financial daily said.

The startup will use the capital for infrastructure, team building and brand promotion, The Economic Times reported.

The company plans to raise an additional $5 million in a follow-on and will appoint the Bollywood couple as its brand ambassadors, Punit Desai, co-founder and CEO of WelcomeCure told ET.

Welcome Cure Pvt. Ltd was founded in 2014 by Desai, a serial entrepreneur who has previously worked with the Konark Group, and Jawahar J Shah, a homeopathic practitioner, technocrat, educationalist and academician.

WelcomeCure caters to the alternative medicine segment. Through its subscription-based service, it provides consultation services through video chat, live chat, Skype, telephonic and email interactions with physicians.

In October 2015, the firm raised $6 million (Rs 39 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round from Brand Capital.

Deals in the space

A few companies in the alternate medicine space have garnered investor attention in recent months.

Last week, NirogStreet, an online platform that connects ayurveda doctors with patients, acquired Brahm Ayurved, a community of ayurvedic doctors.

In June, NirogStreet raised $300,000 (Rs 2 crore) in a seed round led by Japanese venture capital firm Spiral Ventures.

In January this year, KivaShots, an ayurvedic healthcare beverages startup, raised angel funds from high-net-worth individuals.

In November 2017, VCCircle reported that wellness firm VLCC, which offers slimming and beauty services, planned to strengthen its ayurvedic products portfolio.