Startups eye post-pandemic ‘tele-health’ revolution

Lisbon: From mental health apps to a helmet that can shock a patient’s brain remotely, startups at this year’s Web Summit are betting on a major shift towards "tele-medicine" as the world emerges from the pandemic.

Using technology to treat patients virtually was a major theme at one of the world’s largest tech conferences, which returned to Lisbon this week after Covid-19 forced it to move online in 2020.

"These days, most people use their phones for a lot of everyday needs -- why shouldn’t healthcare be part of this?" said Johannes Schildt, whose company Kry lets patients book on-screen medical appointments.

Sweden-based Kry, which operates in five European countries, is far from the only app designed to do away with the need to physically visit a doctor. And not all of these startups focus on physical health. US-based Calmerry is among a growing number of e-counselling companies that offer video sessions with mental health therapists.