Doctor Now

The service officially launched in November 2020, following the temporary permission for non-face-to-face treatments in South Korea due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platform addresses several critical issues within the national healthcare system: the difficulty in securing timely appointments due to physician shortages, accessibility challenges for people with disabilities, and the scarcity of after-hours medical centers. By late 2024, founder Jang Ji-ho stepped down from his CEO role to pursue academic and military service obligations, transitioning the company to the sole leadership of CEO Jeong Jin-ung, a former Morgan Stanley investment banker who joined in 2022.

Doctor Now's business model is multifaceted, initially focusing on a B2C approach. The platform enables users to connect with doctors for remote consultations for various symptoms and specialties like internal medicine, pediatrics, and dermatology. It also facilitates prescription delivery, with medication arriving in as little as 30 minutes. To expand its revenue streams, the company has introduced a corporate package, offering its services as part of employee welfare programs. Other services include a subscription for customized nutritional supplements, real-time medical consultations, a pharmacy finder, and hospital reservation capabilities. The company also established a pharmaceutical wholesale subsidiary, Bijin Pharmaceuticals, to directly supply partner pharmacies.

The company has achieved significant financial milestones, raising a total of $41 million over two funding rounds. A Series A round in October 2021 brought in 10 billion KRW, followed by a substantial 40 billion KRW ($31 million) Series B round in June 2022, which valued the company at over 200 billion KRW ($150 million). Key investors include SoftBank Ventures (now SBVA), Hashed, Goodwater Capital, and Mirae Asset Capital. The company is currently pursuing a Series C funding round to further expand its infrastructure. In February 2024, Doctor Now expanded its operations by establishing a Japanese subsidiary in Tokyo to enter the active Japanese telemedicine market.