Berlin-based Lillian Care, a healthcare startup with a mission to address the scarcity of general practitioners and deliver primary care services to underserved regions, has secured €2.4 million in pre-seed funding, accompanied by a commitment of an additional €2.4 million at the seed stage, resulting in a total investment of €5 million.
This latest funding round was spearheaded by Nina Capital, a venture capital firm renowned for its deep expertise in the intersection of healthcare and technology, with prior investments in companies like basys.ai and Alfie Health. Joining the investment parade were Aescuvest, Caesar Ventures, OHA BTG, Calmstorm, and a group of professional angels and founders, including Björn von Siemens, Wieland Sommer, Inga Bergen, and Fredrik Debong.
The capital infusion will play a pivotal role in Lillian Care's mission to combat the shortage of general practitioners in Germany and provide essential primary care services to underprivileged areas. The startup plans to expand its network of hybrid medical practices with the goal of becoming a market leader by 2030, with a strong commitment to ensuring high levels of satisfaction for patients, nurses, and physicians. Additionally, the funding will support Lillian Care in securing value-based care contracts with health insurers.
Lillian Care, founded in 2023 by a team of serial entrepreneurs and healthcare industry veterans, Linus Drop, Dr. Florian Fuhrmann, and Markus Liesmann, is pioneering a novel approach to address Germany's doctor shortage. The startup establishes hybrid medical practices across the nation, inspired by the work of Lillian Wald, the founder of American community care, known for her hands-on and problem-solving approach that significantly influenced healthcare development.
The Lillian Care platform empowers nurses to serve as the primary point of physical contact for outpatients experiencing health issues, administering 60% of treatments with digital support and supervision from doctors. This innovative approach allows doctors to dedicate their time and expertise to more complex cases, a methodology employed in the USA and Canada since the 1960s. Now, several countries, including the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Finland, have embraced this healthcare approach, granting nurses the authority to perform medical tasks in primary care.
Linus Drop, founder and CEO of Lillian Care, explained, "In Germany, the shortage of primary care physicians is a concern, especially in rural areas. To ensure medical care, we offer physicians and nurses an innovative care model that takes into account the needs of modern professional care teams and takes inspiration from the lessons learned by healthcare systems internationally."
Marc Subirats, a telehealth industry veteran and General Partner at Nina Capital, stated, "The Lillian Care model represents a disruptive innovation that aims to involve nurses in the management of chronic and elderly patients, initially focusing on rural areas and small cities, but with the potential for broader application within the healthcare system. Such models are increasingly recognized as essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. Lillian’s adaptation to the German situation is the best we have seen to provide close-to-home general practice services for an increasingly underserved and aging society."
Lillian Care's ambitious vision and innovative approach to bridge the healthcare gap in underserved regions of Germany have gained substantial support from investors, promising a brighter future for primary care in the country. This funding marks a significant step toward achieving their goal of becoming a leader in modern healthcare delivery by 2030, and they are well-positioned to make a substantial impact on the nation's healthcare landscape.
