This Singapore startup aims to reduce stigma around men’s health with telemedicine

Almost everyone has encountered sexual and wholistic health issues at least once in their lives. One common issue is hair loss, which by the age of 35, roughly 66% of men will suffer from, according to the American Hair Loss Association.

A less common but more sensitive issue is erectile dysfunction (ED), which one in 10 men will contend with at some point during his lifetime, according to Cleveland Clinic research.

Sean Low, the founder of Singapore-based startup Noah, tells Tech in Asia that he had a brush with ED early last year. He went on a Google spree directly after, but only realized that it was a normal thing guys go through after speaking to a doctor friend about what happened.

During this experience, Low found that there was a general lack of understanding and conversation around common men’s health issues and not many discreet alternatives to getting treatment for more sensitive conditions. This is the problem he looks to solve with Noah.

Noah founder Sean Low / Photo credit: Noah

Telemedicine can be a tricky path to tread

Noah was born during Singapore’s lockdown period in May 2020. With people stuck at home, accessibility to physical clinics became much more difficult.

“That’s why telemedicine will and have seen strong growth this year,” Low said.

According to a report from The Business Research Company, the global telehealth market is expected to balloon from US$49.9 billion in 2019 to US$194 billion in 2023 on the back of increased demand stemming from the pandemic.

“But, convenience aside, most people coming to their first teleconsultation with a doctor have been disappointed by the inconsistent experience with technology, as even doctors themselves are new to the experience too,” Low added.

According to the co-founder, Noah differentiated itself by building up its services with patient experience at its heart. The platform boasts a network of medical experts in men’s health, aesthetics, sexuality, and relationships, among others.

The startup has also built up a dedicated patient concierge team to help users through the process and keep everything discreet.

With Noah, customers can book online medical evaluations and get their prescriptions delivered. These include premature ejaculation and hair loss medication at S$50 (US$37.3) and S$45 (US$33.6) per box, respectively.

“Our compounded monthly growth rate is over 50%, and we’ve hit over seven figures in annual rate run,” claimed Low. While the co-founder shared that there is a clear path to profitability for Noah right now, he kept mum on any further information.

After raising an undisclosed amount of funds last year, the company said its next projected funding round would likely be early this year. “Currently, we are looking to more efficiently deploy our existing funds. We have had a number of VCs reach out to us, acknowledging interest, but we’re not looking to raise at the moment,” the founder added.

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