Evaro raises $1.5M Seed funding to help consumer brands offer pharma prescriptions

February, 2024 – Evaro, a plug-and-play online pharmacy platform which allows consumer brands to offer pharmaceutical services has raised $1.5m in seed funding from prominent UK venture investors.

• Evaro is a Norwich based plug-and-play online pharmacy platform providing access to prescription medication for patients through consumer brands
• $1.5m investment enables the company to grow its medication catalogue from 200 to 2,000 treatments
• Evaro has already helped more than 350,000 patients get timely treatment without overburdening the NHS

The fundraise, led by Cornerstone VC and Exceptional Ventures and additional angel investors, will enable Evaro to help 10 million people get faster treatment for their minor health conditions.

Evaro uses an artificial intelligence and machine learning model trained on 13.5 million patient records to provide access to AI-driven asynchronous consultations and private prescription medication. It also uses a stringent regulatory-compliant patient safety process through which online treatment requests require a consultation, with mechanisms to detect answer manipulation with prescriptions scrutinised for safe dosages and quantities, with GP notifications when necessary.

Their model allows brands to expand their offering and increase consumer engagement with pharmaceuticals that can traditionally only be acquired through very long wait times within the NHS.

With a B2B “pharmaceutical infrastructure as a service” approach, the company works with consumer brands to offer drugs relevant to their existing product lines and consumer demographics – i.e. dermatology treatments for cosmetics companies.

Evaro was founded by Dr Thuria Wenbar, an emergency doctor and software developer, and her husband, Dr Oskar Wendowski, a pharmacist researcher.

Dr Thuria Wenbar, CEO of Evaro says:

“The NHS is in crisis: you can now wait up to four weeks for a GP appointment, which is made worse by funding cuts and staff shortages. The information overload triggered by AI tools’ broad availability means the risks of patients self-medicating is only getting greater.

“We aim to help people get faster treatments for their minor health issues safely, as and when needed. And we will achieve this by turning digital clinics into a viable commercial opportunity for big brands.”

Dr Oskar Wendowski added:

“We’re already helping 350,000 people access healthcare as easily and securely as they access online banking. We now want to scale this. Our B2B strategy focuses on empowering brands in sectors such as cosmetics, sex health and travel to venture into the digital health space without the complexities of technology, regulation and fulfilment, thanks to our plug-and-play service.

We hope this will help relieve part of the burden of non-urgent appointments from GPs and emergency care.”

Rodney Appiah, Managing Partner at Cornerstone VC, said:

“I’m inspired by Thuria and Oskar’s vision to democratise access to healthcare by providing the software needed for brands to meet their customers’ most common healthcare needs, freeing up valuable time for doctors and nurses without compromising treatment. Imagine a world where your favourite cosmetics company can offer prescriptions for acne, eczema and psoriasis, or an over-50s company can offer tailored insurance services alongside healthcare services relating to menopause, erectile dysfunction or regular health screenings. That is what they’re building, together with redefining the safety and efficiency standards in online healthcare. We couldn’t be more proud to back them.”

For more information visit Evaro.