Going to the doctor needs to be as easy as ordering food

Why are some service areas fully digitized, while others are not? How have areas like food delivery been able to make the transition into the digital realm, while other sectors like health services have not? The suggestion might be that something like going to see your GP requires face-to-face interaction, but the team behind Salu has so far been able to conduct 90% of their patients’ consultations online.

Accelerace has invested in Salu, an Estonian company that is building an online medical consultation platform, allowing you to bring your family doctor with you wherever you may go. Up until now, Salu has launched in Estonia and Finland, but in the fourth quarter, they will open in their biggest market yet.

The idea originated when CEO Andreas Kotsjuba moved abroad with his family. He and his wife brought their young son, and as expected, someone fell ill and needed medical help. This raised a question for the small family: where do you go to get medical help when you’re in a new country? Several factors complicate this endeavor: firstly, you need to find a doctor. That doctor then needs access to your medical history and records, and then you need to communicate in a different language than your own.

“I’ve lived abroad myself for extended periods, and have experienced the pain that Salu address first hand while seeing countless other expats struggle with the same issues. It is evident that this is a domain that is ripe for rethinking and better solutions, which I think Salu is a great example of”
Mads Løntoft, Venture Partner at Accelerace.

Before Covid, it was primarily consumers who were ready for something like an online medical practice, while healthcare professionals were more hesitant. This changed as the world experienced the pandemic, which helped Salu gain partner clinics on board.

In cases where consultations can’t be done online and you need to see a doctor, Salu has partnered with clinics in the respective country. These clinics will have access to your medical records and can perform tasks such as blood tests.

In all other cases, though, you can open their app and consult with a doctor within 30 minutes, 7 days a week, no matter where you are at that moment.

Salu hopes that the impact of their product can be felt both individually and societally. Making consultations more available in terms of geography and time should encourage more people to see their doctors. At the same time, it should significantly reduce healthcare costs for countries.

“They are ready to tackle a huge market and are already proving that they can do this. Their growth is clear evidence of their skills and determination and I am excited to follow and support them on their continued journey”
Mads Løntoft, Venture Partner at Accelerace.