Femtech startup Kindred recently announced it has secured $1M in seed funding to fuel the Philippine expansion of its offline clinics, launch new women-centric services in line with its patient demands, invest in marketing initiatives, and focus on capacity building for its team.
The seed funding round was participated in by KSR Ventures, Tenco Capital Holdings, Pawikan Capital Group, Pulse63 Healthcare Ventures, and Kaya Founders, reportedly raising the company’s valuation to $6M since its establishment one year ago.
Founded in 2021 by Filipino nurse and femtech pioneer Jessica De Mesa and healthcare entrepreneur Abetina Valenzuela, Kindred is the first hybrid, online-to-offline (O2O) women’s health care solution in the Philippines that combines technology with traditional medical services. The startup aims to address key challenges in women’s healthcare in the country by granting patients seamless access to doctors, healthcare services, and more.
According to CEO and co-founder Jessica De Mesa, Kindred’s mission is to revolutionize how healthcare is tailored and accessed to fit the specific needs of women using an omnichannel approach. “Our objective is to reshape the healthcare landscape for women by empowering patients, connecting them with specialized professionals, and providing personalized care plans that foster a more compassionate and efficient system.”
Kindred’s Beginnings
When De Mesa and Valenzuela first met in 2021, they teamed up against a mutual enemy – the prevailing barriers that women experience in terms of accessing and affording women’s healthcare in the Philippines. Coming together as kindred spirits, the co-founders felt an instant connection around the idea that a world where women can live without bias is possible. They sought to do this by creating a safe space that would elevate the idea of a simple “doctor ’s visit” and transform it into a gateway to give women control over their bodies and their life’s journey. Kindred was then born to empower women to take charge of their own health and destigmatize women’s health concerns—the first few steps to building the future of women’s health.
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By 2022, Kindred became fully operational. In December of that year, Kindred opened its first hybrid clinic that offers both virtual and in-person care in Serendra Mall, Bonifacio Global City (BGC). The clinic offers virtual consultations, physical diagnostic examinations, contraceptive packages, and intravenous drips, among other services in the confines of a safe, non-judgmental space for patients to feel calm and well cared for.
Kindred doctors include highly-trained and experienced professionals in the fields of gynecology, urology, dermatology, psychiatry, psychology, nutrition, and more. The startup is continuously growing its community of doctors and specialists.
During Kindred’s first-year anniversary event, De Mesa shared the startup’s plans to establish a second physical clinic in Quezon City, along with additional satellite clinics all over Metro Manila.
Celebrating its first anniversary with a new app
In line with creating a more cohesive woman-centric patient experience through its hybrid healthcare model, Kindred recently launched a new app to further deliver high quality care for its patients.
The Kindred App is designed to empower patients, enhance communication with healthcare professionals, and provide personalized care plans—all within the convenience of a user-friendly platform. In addition, the app seeks to bridge gaps in care and ultimately simplify the healthcare experience by giving users another way to access the integrated ecosystem of virtual and in-clinic holistic health services available to them.
Streamlining the healthcare process and eliminating the common challenges faced by patients such as scheduling appointments, tracking treatments and care plans, and maintaining important medical documents are among the app’s primary benefits. Through this initial version of the app, patients can experience telehealth through video calls and chats, and book consultations effortlessly. The app also matches patients with specialists according to their specific healthcare needs and allow both parties to engage in real-time chat conversations, enabling prompt support and efficient communication.
Reaffirming its commitment to taking the femtech industry further, Kindred already has its eye on the future. “Kindred will keep on innovating and ensure that we continue to champion women’s health a step further through our geographical expansion, new woman-centric services and products, and new app features already in the pipeline to delight our valued patients,” said De Mesa.
Since the inauguration of the BGC clinic, Kindred has treated over 8,000 patients and established collaborations with 20 corporate partners through Kindred Employer Solutions.