App connects people with medical personnel.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
Ratan Tata has made an undisclosed amount of investment in award-winning emergency response mobile app MUrgency Inc., based in San Francisco.
“He (Tata) clearly wanted us to launch and grow the network in India first before taking it overseas. Mr. Tata’s investment in MUrgency will help attract leading talent to the company and major partnerships beyond India,” said Shaffi Mather, founder of MUrgency Inc, in a statement.
“Tata’s involvement is an affirmation of the importance of a reliable emergency medical response network for the world, and of course, India, to save lives which are otherwise lost for want of timely medical attention,” he added.
MUrgency is a mobile app which connects people who need urgent medical help with credentialed doctors, nurses, EMTs and paramedics, nearest to them. Its services include emergency care, urgent care, transport, lab tests, and medicine deliveries, reported Press Trust of India.
The start-up had received investments from Kris Gopalakrishnan and S D Shibulal led Axilor Ventures.
With 36 hospital emergency rooms, over 40 ambulances and more than 350 medical professionals, the company started its service in Tricity area in Punjab on February 16.
They are planning to start operation in Amritsar and Jalandhar by the end of May and are gearing up to introduce all-India service by 2018 and around the world by 2020.
The investment made by Tata will be used to strengthen the technology and enhance operations and MUrgency is looking forward to becoming a global player in medical emergency provider using Tata’s experience and network.
MUrgency has been chosen ‘Startup of the Year’ for 2016 at the prestigious ‘Startup Grind-2016’ conference held in Redwood City, Silicon Valley.
“While our primary goal is to develop emergency medical response network, we are widening our service to be an inclusive and comprehensive medical service platform on your mobile phone. The app is live on iOS and Android app stores and several features are accessible across the world already,” Sweta Mangal, Director, Global Emergency Response, MUrgency, was quoted as saying by PTI.
Ratan Tata has made investments in 25 start-ups and emerging technology firms across the world including healthcare ventures such as Lybrate, Swasth India, Invictus Oncology, Boston-based wind energy startup Altaeros Energies, China’s largest smartphone maker Xiaomi and Singapore-based big data analytics firm Crayon Data.