Hippo Drs.
Brazilian personal medical concierge and booking platform.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
* | N/A | Series A | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Hippo Drs. was a Brazilian health-tech startup that operated as an online platform for booking medical appointments. Founded in July 2015 by Raulo Ferraz, the company was based in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. The idea emerged from Ferraz's personal experience after a motorcycle accident in 2014, where he struggled to get a timely appointment with a specialist despite having health insurance. This highlighted a gap in the market between expensive private consultations and the inefficiencies of health plans and public services.
The company positioned itself as a personal medical assistant, allowing patients to schedule medical consultations, exams, and other health services quickly and affordably. The platform was designed to connect patients with doctors efficiently, promising appointments within 48 hours. It served patients who found health insurance plans too expensive or private consultations prohibitive, while offering doctors better remuneration than typical insurance payouts. The business model was based on charging patients a convenience fee, while doctors could use the platform for free. By 2017, the average consultation cost via the platform was around 120 Brazilian reais.
Hippo Drs. experienced rapid growth, expanding to over 25 cities within its first few years. In June 2017, the startup secured a significant seed funding round of R$3.5 million (approximately $955K USD) from investors including KICK Ventures and Thamila Zaher. At the time, this was reported as one of the largest angel investments for a Brazilian startup. The company had plans to expand to 100 cities by the end of 2017 and also aimed to form partnerships with laboratories, imaging centers, and pharmacies. Despite its early success and funding, the company is now listed as deadpooled.
Keywords: medical appointments, healthcare platform, doctor booking, Brazil healthcare, health-tech, medical concierge, clinic appointments, exam scheduling, Raulo Ferraz, telehealth, digital health, medical services, healthcare booking, patient-doctor connection, affordable healthcare, KICK Ventures, Ribeirão Preto startup, healthcare accessibility, online medical services, medical appointment scheduling