Munich Startup: Who are you and what do you do? Please introduce yourselves briefly!
Avi Medical: The three of us, Vlad Lata (31), Julian Kley (33) and Christoph Baumeister (34), founded Avi Medical in Munich at the beginning of 2020. Avi Medical is a completely new type of general practice: patient-friendly, technology-supported, and with a special human touch. Our innovative concept combines the best of medicine and software. Every patient receives the same high-quality treatment – regardless of whether they have private or public insurance.
Vlad studied Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at TUM and holds an Honors Degree in Technology Management from CDTM. He was previously a co-founder of KonuxChris holds a PhD in Services and Technology Marketing from TUM and an Honors Degree in Technology Management from CDTM. He co-founded two startups, Locumi Labs and NelloJulian is a physician and studied medicine in Bonn. Before joining Avi, he worked for the Boston Consulting Group for more than five years in the area of global healthcare systems.
Vlad and Chris never crossed paths at CDTM during their studies, but they met there when Vlad was looking for a partner for his planned startup. Both were CDTM graduates and had already successfully built IoT companies. Thus, they already had more in common than they realized at the time – an instant match! Now, all they were missing was medical expertise. And that's where Julian comes in: Due to an "unexplainable planetary alignment," according to the founders today, Vlad happened to be the first person Julian approached after leaving Boston Consulting. The founding team was assembled!
Technology relieves doctors of administrative work
Munich Startup: What problem does your startup solve?
Avi Medical: We are building patient-centered, technology-supported medical practices that offer a previously unheard-of convenient, personalized, and holistic digital patient experience. Evidence-based medicine combined with the targeted use of modern technologies go hand in hand in our concept – in the interest of providing the best possible treatment for each individual patient. We see ourselves as pioneers in the field of primary care. Our vision is care that expands the doctor-patient relationship with modern digital options. Not as an end in itself, but to meaningfully support patient treatment wherever possible. Avi Medical is the first company in Germany to fully integrate medicine and software and provide its physicians with a complete, integrated concept.
For patients, the doctor's visit begins with a straightforward online appointment booking. Soon, they'll be completing their medical history form at home on their smartphone, not in the waiting room. The integration of telemedicine ensures maximum convenience: Depending on the reason for treatment, patients can opt for a video consultation from home instead of coming to the practice in person.
The doctors in the Avi-Medical practice network are permanently employed and therefore have no financial risk. They benefit from flexible working models with regular and predictable hours, as well as the option to communicate with patients via video chat even from home. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology support, their administrative workload is significantly reduced – ultimately, the doctors have more time for their core medical care.
By the way, we are constantly looking for doctors and medical assistants for our growing number of practices, as well as developers, marketing experts, working students, etc. for our back office. Just take a look at https://www.avimedical.com/jobs!
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Avi Medical: No, see question 2.
Avi Medical plans 20 medical practices by the end of 2022
Munich Startup: What have been your three biggest challenges so far?
Avi Medical: The biggest, but also most important, challenge is certainly consistently recruiting the absolute best people for all areas – everything we do and build, such as our product and software, medical services, or our practice design, depends on our ability to bring the best talent worldwide on board. Hiring is our primary task as founders. Beyond that, there are the "normal" challenges – for example, the spontaneous development of a tool for booking coronavirus vaccinations in April 2021 (not so easy with four vaccines and weekly changes in delivery) or the acquisition and modernization of long-established practices.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Avi Medical: We started with two practices in Munich in April of this year, added a third in June, and will soon be opening two more practices in Munich. Over the course of 2022, we plan to open another 12 to 15 practices in Munich, Berlin, and Hamburg, as well as map the entire patient journey in the primary care setting digitally and physically. In five years, we hope to have many more practices joining the Avi Medical network, and our service will also be available in other European countries!
Munich Startup: How do you rate Munich as a startup location?
Avi Medical: From a recruiting perspective, the two top universities here are obviously great. The startup scene here is well-connected – everyone knows each other and exchanges ideas. There are many contact points for public funding and private investments. The distances are close. Munich's location makes it a highly attractive location for employees. On the other hand, this also leads to the well-known precarious housing situation (especially for students and young professionals). And the cost of living is extremely high. Overall, however, Munich is quite rightly one of the most sought-after startup locations in the world.
Munich Startup: Quick exit or long breath?
Avi Medical: The traditional general practitioner market, as it stands today, cannot be modernized overnight, meaning that patients can be offered contemporary treatment according to the most modern medical standards. This requires perseverance and staying power. Our investors know this and fully support our long-term approach.
