Diri Care closes US$4.3 million in seed funding

• Aims to tap into Indonesia’s rapidly growing consumer health industry   
• Funds used to expand access to offerings, enhance platform capabilities  

Diri Care announced that it has closed its oversubscribed seed round at US$4.3 million (RM19 million), co-led by East Ventures and Sequoia Capital India and Southeast Asia’s Surge, with follow-on participation from prominent angel investor, Henry Hendrawan.

In a statement, the consumer health technology startup said the funds will be channeled into expanding access of its offerings to millions of customers and to further enhance the platform's technological capability that underpins its results-driven, affordable, and seamless service experience.

Diri Care, which literally translates to ‘self-care’ in Bahasa Indonesia, is an on-demand, one-stop digital clinic for skin, hair and intimate health conditions. 

The company said users will be able to receive rapid health assessments by certified physicians, personalised treatment prescriptions, and clinically-proven products delivered to their doorsteps in as fast as two hours.

The startup said it is addressing a dire need in the consumer health industry in Indonesia – starting with beauty and personal care, as the rapidly growing sector is expected to reach US$9.6 billion (RM42.6 billion) by 2025. 

It said easy healthcare access is also crucial in a country where there are an estimated 0.4 doctors per 1,000 persons, and residents often have to contend with long wait times, lengthy commutes or costly products and services.

Customers suffering from chronic skin, hair and personal health conditions such as acne, dark spots, skin aging, hair loss, performance anxiety, among others, can now connect to Diri Care’s 24/7 virtual support, as well as receive affordable and efficacy-driven treatments, it said.

Christian Suwarna, co-founder and chief executive officer of Diri Care said this investment serves as a strong testament towards Diri Care’s mission to revolutionise consumer healthcare solutions. 

“Diri Care marries technology and medical science to inspire authentic confidence and well-being for modern consumers.

“We believe everyone deserves affordable, high-quality, patient-centric care, and Diri Care is leading the way in democratising that access for everyone, everywhere, for good,” he said.

Willson Cuaca, co-founder and managing partner of East Ventures said Indonesia has a thriving consumer health market, with over 270 million of population seeking quality and affordable health and well-being solutions. 

“Digital transformation is a key lever that presents enormous opportunities for Indonesia to elevate the quality of our health services sector, and we see Diri Care as a high-performing team that is uniquely well-equipped to integrate its care model with various revolutionary consumer health services and products in one seamless digital platform.

“We are glad to welcome Diri Care into the East Ventures family, and we fully support Diri Care’s mission to transform the future of care delivery for modern consumers,” Cuaca said.

Diri Care launched its beta version of the platform in March 2022, and claimed that they have recorded more than 13,000 consultations and seen revenues grow by 600%.

The startup continues to enhance the digital platform and will be launching its app in both iOS and Android in the near future, it said.