DoctorMate

About DoctorMate

DoctorMate Inc., established in December 2017, provides a specialized medical support platform for nursing care facilities in Japan, addressing critical gaps between elderly care and medical services. The company was founded by Dr. Naoki Aoyagi, a physician who identified significant inconsistencies in the medical treatment of residents from different care facilities while working as a dermatologist at a university hospital. Dr. Aoyagi noticed that some patients arrived with conditions that were severely advanced, while others were brought in for minor issues, pointing to a systemic problem in medical access and judgment within the elder care system. This firsthand experience of the現場 (genba), or the actual site, motivated him to leave his hospital position and establish a solution to bridge this gap, aiming to create a sustainable care model for Japan's super-aging society.

The company's business-to-business model is centered on a subscription-based digital platform that offers a suite of services to nursing homes, which now serves over 900 facilities across more than 40 prefectures in Japan. Revenue is generated through recurring fees for its core offerings. The platform's flagship services include a "Daytime Medical Consultation Service," which allows care facility staff to consult with specialist doctors via an online chat system, complete with image-sharing capabilities, covering 26 medical specialties with responses typically within an hour. This service mitigates unnecessary hospital visits and provides immediate professional advice. Another critical service is the "Nighttime On-call Substitution," where DoctorMate's dedicated nurses handle emergency calls from care facilities overnight, alleviating the burden on the facilities' own nursing staff and reducing staff turnover. This 24/7 support structure ensures continuous medical accessibility.

In addition to its primary consultation services, DoctorMate has expanded its product line to further support the care industry. It provides specialized online services for psychiatric care, focusing on dementia, and online dermatological consultations. Recognizing the need for continuous professional development, the company launched "DM-study (D-Sta)," an e-learning platform designed to enhance the medical knowledge of care staff. By digitizing medical access and support, DoctorMate aims to reduce the operational and psychological strain on caregivers, improve the quality of care for residents, and contribute to the efficiency of the broader healthcare system by optimizing hospital and emergency service utilization. The company has successfully raised significant capital through multiple funding rounds, with a cumulative total of 2.16 billion yen, to enhance its product development and expand its service reach.