In Southeast Asia, new age start-ups are transforming health and wellness through the application of advanced technologies in everyday medical activities. Health technology (healthtech) start-ups are built on advancements in healthcare, whether through data and communications, research and clinical trials, medical equipment, or consumer products. These start-ups contribute to the development of an atmosphere conducive to more viable care options. They are transforming how people live and navigate around different options that influence their health. There are various areas of healthcare in which technology plays a vital role. Some of the prominent ones are listed below:

1. Research & Clinical Development
2. Wellness & Workplace
3. Data, Integration & Analytics
4. Health Market & Finance
5. Chronic Care & Home Health
6. Treatment & Monitoring

In general, these start-ups are influencing the behaviour of people in SEA through the use or provision of technology that promotes health and wellbeing. The start-ups included in this list are rapidly growing, and consistently creating innovative solutions in the field of health technology. All of these start-ups are either headquartered in South East Asia or have a strong emphasis in the SEA region.

1. DocDoc: DocDoc operates Asia’s biggest medical network, with over 23,000 physicians under contract. Cole Sirucek co-founded DocDoc, the startup which carefully picks physicians based on their competence and comprehensive examination. DocDoc then incorporates data from many sources. Based on this data DocDoc uses an artificial intelligence doctor discovery engine, in order to determine the optimal match between a unique doctor for a unique patient. This healthcare startup established in Singapore in 2012 offers its services to insured patients via insurance companies.
2. Medifi: In an era when so much is done online, it’s only a matter of time until online medical consultations become even more popular. Founded by Jay Fajardo in the Philippines in 2014, Medifi offers remote healthcare solutions by delivering a cloud-based platform that links patients to medical experts regardless of location. Features include access to video consultation, chat, medical imaging, and a personal health profile. Medifi aims to build on its unique video calling capability to include commercially accessible biometric devices.
3. Alodokter: Founded in 2014, Alodokter is a completely integrated healthcare ecosystem that enables patients to interact with physicians, manage their medical data, plan appointments, access material, and live a healthy lifestyle. The business, headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, seeks to solve the issue of access to inaccurate and impartial information on healthcare providers, medical services, and physicians. Alodokter is available in two languages: English and Bahasa, and it is funded by Softbank Ventures Korea. It has a user base of up to 16 million and recently launched into Thailand under the name Pobpad.com. Alodokter uses an Uber-like platform that uses AI techniques to facilitate patients. This platform provides various facilities to patients such as the latest health content, chat with doctors, an online booking for consultation with doctors and search for hospitals.
4. Pharmacity: Pharmacity is Vietnam’s leading pharmacy retail chain, and has been committed to enhancing each customer’s healthcare experience since 2011. Pharmacity operates around 1000 drugstores throughout the country, with the aim to reach 90% of Vietnamese population within a 10-minute motorbike drive. Pharmacity  gives manufacturers a single point of contact to sell products at hundreds of retail outlets. The company uses its economies of scale to source products in bulk and has a database of 3.5 million people in its loyalty program.
5. CXA Group: CXA Group is on track to become Asia’s largest insurance technology start-up. As a one-stop shop, it allows businesses to empower workers to manage their health more proactively via a self-service platform that provides access to an expanding variety of health, wellness, and wealth services that are tailored based on the employee’s own health data. By removing intermediaries such as brokers, CXA enables more efficient use of employer-provided insurance plans, since workers may directly access cash from their employers’ existing policies, which can be accessed through the platform’s e-wallet to facilitate transactions. CXA was founded by Rosaline Koo in Singapore in 2013.
6. Attune Technologies: Attune Technologies is a next-generation healthcare information technology firm that pioneered Cloud-based solutions aimed at assisting the healthcare ecosystem as a whole. Attune’s solutions seamlessly combine Labs, Hospitals, Pharmacies, Blood Banks, Radiology, Internet of Things (IoT) Medical Devices, Insurance Companies, and Accounting, resulting in greater income and operational efficiency. Attune’s solutions are applicable to a broad range of companies, from single physician clinics to networks of healthcare providers, making it the region’s biggest cloud-based healthcare IT service provider. Attune is located in Singapore and now handles over 10 million patient health data for 200+ customers spanning 15 countries in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
7. Healint: Incepted in 2013, Healint is a Singapore-based company that uses machine learning, sensor technology, and deep analytics to assist individuals who suffer from migraines and other neurological diseases. Healint also collaborates with health institutes on healthcare research, with the goal of influencing the future of health care delivery. Patient and caregiver assistance is provided via the development of artificial intelligence engines that can communicate with any sensors.
8. Privi Medical: Privi is a health technology start-up headquartered in Singapore that offers a Class 2 medical gadget that may be used at home to relieve the discomfort caused by internal haemorrhoids. The item is available for purchase online. A non-drug treatment for grade I and grade II internal hemorrhoidal bleeding and discomfort, according to Privi’s manufacturer, is available. The device is comparable to a tampon and has a similar user flow. It is designed to treat internal haemorrhoids, which are difficult to reach. People may use medicines to alleviate the discomfort, but they have side effects that impact many regions of the body, making them unsuitable for pregnant women. Instead, the Privi product is not based on medications and does not have any negative side effects like pharmaceuticals.
9. EndoMaster: EndoMaster is a medical device start-up focused on the development of a revolutionary robotic-assisted surgical system. EndoMaster has created a unique robotic-assisted endoscopic surgical system that will greatly enhance current endoscopic procedures and enable doctors to conduct incision-free surgeries that were previously only possible through open or laparoscopic surgery. EndoMaster’s robotic technology will enable more precise and intuitive minimally invasive surgery in the body, as well as shorter operation times. This will help to alleviate patient discomfort and the risk of procedural and post-operative problems. EndoMaster was founded in Singapore by Lawrence Ho and Louis Phee in 2011.
10. I3 Precision: I3 Precision Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based company that created a drug monitoring system for the healthcare business. Its image recognition technology distinguishes between tablets, capsules, blister packs, and medicine boxes, allowing it to validate that the image of the drug delivered corresponds to the picture of the properly prescribed medication. The firm was established in 2011 and has its headquarters in Singapore.

Conclusion

Healthtech is one of the important sectors in Southeast Asia that has enormous development potential. Telehealth companies, in particular, have piqued investors’ and customers’ attention. Certain businesses enable patients to obtain medical consultations online, eliminating the need for them to drive to clinics and wait hours in waiting rooms before seeing a doctor. Telehealth has the potential to revolutionise healthcare in Southeast Asia, where rural inhabitants may have to travel significant distances to obtain medical assistance. Medical monitoring systems, AI-powered healthcare recommendation engines, healthcare data management solutions, and medical diagnostic technology are just a few of the advancements that have the potential to enhance Southeast Asia’s healthcare services. Startups working in this sector can gain a lot of advantage with the current investor’s interest. Based on the current market demands, startups can plan their business and act accordingly.