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Yoke Ming Chong · · 4 min readThis healthcare startup is leveraging the rise of medtech in India and China
This article is co-authored by Pui Ying Loh and Yoke Ming Chong.
Photo credit: yuliang11 / 123RF Stock Photo.
Once a week, Racelie Jia goes to a one-room flat in Jalan Kukoh, a neighborhood located in central Singapore, to take care of 32-year-old Sunny Teo while his mother goes for dialysis.
Sunny has been intellectually disabled because of a prolonged fever 22 years ago. He also suffers from visual, hearing, and speech impairments and has difficulty walking. Between 7 am and 1 pm, Racelie takes care of him and assists him when he needs the toilet.
Racelie, who is in her 30s, is a nurse with eBeeCare, a local startup that links freelance nurses and caregivers with patients in need of homecare services, including elderly care and physiotherapy.
By March next year, at least 50 qualified caregivers like Racelie will provide similar services in Pune, a city in India, as eBeeCare expands into Asian markets.
According to John Chen, co-founder and CEO of eBeeCare, the startup aims to have around 1,000 freelance caregivers in India and at least 50 full-time employees to meet additional demands.
Big market in India
“Startups need to move fast, and we want to see the business up and running in India early next year,” said John. “We can move into India faster as there are fewer restrictions, and it is easier to get the government’s approval.”
John sees a big market for homecare services in the country and is also looking at collaborating with hospitals to manage their nurse platforms so they can better utilize resources.
According to India Brand Equity Foundation, the healthcare market in India was worth US$100 billion in 2015. This is expected to reach US$280 billion by 2020.
About the company
Having started in 2014, eBeeCare launched its mobile application in April this year. As of October, about 400 caregivers have made more than 2,000 home visits to around 300 patients in Singapore.
Besides an undisclosed amount from Govin Capital, the startup has received US$35,000 grants from SPRING Singapore and the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
According to Haluk Tanik, the 37-year-old co-founder and COO of eBeeCare, the startup aims to maintain stringent quality control on caregivers in India through screenings and interviews.
In Singapore, nurses who wish to join eBeeCare must be registered with the Singapore Nursing Board, have at least two years of hospital experience, and go through a face-to-face interview.
Challenges of expansion
Rising global demand for medtech
Moving into China
Local ambitions
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