UberHealth for Families aka CareBuddy
We Care for those, Who Care for You
My first startup that was initiated in October 2013. UberHealth was merged with a Home Healthcare Service Startup in 2015. It was the most challenging project with concerns in running operations; every day was a new challenge. UberHealth enables children living far away from the parents to manage their elder's well being from a distance. A service developed using the Design Thinking method.
User's of the Service
The Senior Citizens, who are living far away from their children and who need support to manage logistics in healthcare
Client
The Children or the caregivers of the Senior Citizens
Problem
Many people (including us) have to settle abroad/away from home due to their jobs, education etc. They have no way to take care of their parents and to know what is their health status.
Elderly healthcare in India is a $10B+ market. The elderly are our end users and the elderly population is increasing at a fast rate in India (100 million at present).
My Role
I led the startup as Chief Executive Officer. I was managing the day to day operations in all parts of New Delhi NCR, dealing with customers and the employees serving the customers. Hiring and training the right people to do the job. Manage the payments and finance of the company. Additionally, take care of the business development and marketing, converting the sales numbers to reality. Raising funds and investments, reporting to the investor was a weekly job.
Solution
On one side, we use technology to interact with the children (client) & to provide service to the elderly, and on the other side, provide elders a human touch to all the elements concerning their well being. So, a representative ( “Care Buddy” (CB)) is assigned to each family. CB is the person bridging the gap between the child living far away and the elder person, residing in India.
CB will be in touch with children through Whatsapp, Viber, e-mail, etc, making communication between service providers, elders, and children living away convenient and fluent.
Understands the medical needs of the elderly and brief to the child.
Shares details about the doctor give options of doctors and manage appointment with the doctor.
CB shares details about the labs for specific tests and shares discounts on the tests to be conducted.
Also, sends reminders on medicines refill, assures discount on medicines and makes sure medicines are delivered at the doorstep of elderly.
Care Buddy assists the elderly through the consultation or through the tests, shares information shared by the doctor to the child, collects test reports and arranges transport if required.
The charges undergone through the process will be taken care of by Care Buddy and the bill is presented to the Child for payment. Through all this, CB remains a friend to the elderly.
Affiliations, Funding and Achievements
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Start-Up of the Year in Elder Care in India by Silicon India magazine (2015)
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Hot 100 start-ups award (2015)
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10,000 Nasscom startups generation-6 member (2014)
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3 months intense Village Capital USA: Health IT (2014-15)
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4 months intense Indian School of Business incubation- Design Thinking (2014)
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Finalists in International Start Up Festival 2014 in Montreal, Canada (2014)
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Finalists in Global Webit Congress in Istanbul, Turkey (2014)
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Finalists in Ivy – Camp Challenge held in IIT Mumbai, India (2014)
“The old lady says, “I don’t know who the new guy will be and how he will behave? You are family, don’t leave us”
- a 79-year-old lady conversing with me when I tell her I have a new employee to take care of you.
I assure, he will be better than me but they don’t like the idea. Scaling is the challenge.
Key Learnings
Learned about life and business. Learned that entrepreneurship is not a job but a lifestyle.
The toughest is yet to come and have to be prepared for the worst.