Doccla Secures £35M for European Expansion

Doccla, a leader in virtual ward and remote patient monitoring services, has successfully raised £35 million in a Series B funding round. The round was led by Lakestar, with participation from Elaia, as well as existing investors General Catalyst, Bertelsmann Investments, and Speedinvest. Notably, Lakestar partner Oliver Heimes will be joining Doccla’s board, bringing further strategic insight to the company as it navigates its next phase of growth.

Headquartered in London, Doccla is already a prominent player in the UK and Ireland, with its services extending across more than ten European countries. The company collaborates with NHS Trusts in over half of the NHS regions and recently inked a partnership with Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE). With the new capital, Doccla aims to solidify its market presence in the UK and Ireland while expanding into key European markets, particularly in France and the DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) region. The company also has ambitions to explore growth opportunities in international markets beyond Europe.

Doccla’s platform is regulated by the Care Quality Commission in England, ensuring that it meets the same standards as hospitals and general practices. Its technology facilitates 24/7 patient monitoring across 40 clinical pathways, enabling medical professionals to access real-time data and preemptively identify potential health concerns. This capability allows for timely in-person appointments, preventing issues from escalating and reducing emergency admissions. This proactive approach not only eases the burden on healthcare systems but also provides peace of mind to patients and their families.

Doccla was co-founded by Martin Ratz and Dag Larsson. The idea for the company arose after Ratz experienced an unexpected heart attack and identified a critical gap in patient care post-hospital discharge. With his background in healthtech, Ratz, along with Larsson, set out to create a solution that would bridge this gap. Their vision was to enable hospital-level care and support at home, catering to patients across various levels of medical need. Doccla’s virtual wards allow for early patient discharge and help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, particularly for those with chronic conditions. This approach not only benefits patients, who can recover in the comfort of their own homes, but also frees up valuable resources within healthcare systems.

Reflecting on the company’s progress and future potential, Doccla Founder Martin Ratz stated, “Doccla was founded to provide hospital-level care and support at home for multiple patient profiles across the acuity spectrum: enabling the early discharge of patients, as well as ensuring that for those with chronic care needs, hospital admission might be avoided in the first place. Technology-enabled virtual wards deliver great benefits for patients, who can recover at home, while freeing up resources for healthcare providers. Our work has proven immensely valuable to the UK’s National Health Service, and we’re excited to scale our European operations. At the same time, we see exceptional upside potential for our services in the Life Sciences sector, and will continue to invest in our data science operations.”

Oliver Heimes of Lakestar, who is joining the Doccla board, expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory, noting, “In less than five years Doccla has gone from a research project to establishing itself as the market leader in the UK. We are confident they will not just maintain that position but successfully launch in new markets, whilst diversifying their services. Remote patient care delivers proven results and is ushering in new standards in the healthcare systems globally.”

Doccla’s innovative approach to healthcare is not only transforming patient care in the UK but also setting new benchmarks for remote patient monitoring globally. With the fresh infusion of capital and a clear roadmap for expansion, Doccla is poised to make significant strides in the European healthcare market and beyond.