An idea for a digital clinic conceived during the pandemic becomes a successful business

During the pandemic, when in-person visits to public places were being restricted, four like-minded people came up with the idea of a digital clinic. Today, it has grown into a successful Latvian medical start-up called Medon. The company offers an innovative solution – a digital clinic allowing patients to receive personalised healthcare remotely. This service is particularly important given the dynamics of modern life and the need to use time more efficiently.

“The digital platform offered by Medon provides remote consultations that are as close as possible to an in-person visit. Patients can communicate with doctors anywhere, anytime using secure authentication such as Smart-ID or internet banking. The platform provides access to all essential healthcare services, including specialist consultations, referrals, electronic prescriptions and written medical reports and recommendations. Data is stored centrally and securely, allowing patients to review their health history at any time.

The company is currently working with almost 100 specialists, making Medon one of the largest clinics in Latvia. While there are also in-person offices, the company’s core business focuses on remote consultations, offering patients the convenience of contacting a doctor from anywhere they like, including abroad, time savings and lower costs than traditional clinics, where the administrative burden adds to the cost of a visit.

In the initial stages of developing Medon, the business incubator established by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) in Jūrmala provided significant support. Roberts Lasovskis, co-founder of the company, emphasises that the incubator provided both valuable information support and 50% co-financing for marketing activities. This was a decisive factor in promoting the digital clinic and bringing in the first patients.

The tax incentives available to start-ups also remain an important support mechanism. According to Robert, these incentives significantly improve a company's competitiveness, which is critical in the start-up phase.

Medon has recently started an important collaboration with the insurance company Balcia, which allows patients to cover the cost of their visits with travel insurance and receive a consultation very quickly – even with an hour from the time of application. In addition, the technical solution developed by Medon is also used by other medical institutions. For example, the National Centre for Mental Health has integrated it into its operations to provide remote consultations. 

This article has been produced with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund