An NHS app secures £7m funding and will help you take your meds on time

Echo, a UK medication management app, has announced today (October 25) that it has raised a £7m Series A round of funding led by White Star Capital.

Other participants in the round include MMC Ventures, LocalGlobe, Global Founders Capital, Rocket Internet and Public.io.

Christian Hernandez of White Star Capital is to join the Echo board. The investment follows a £1.8m seed round from LocalGlobe, Global Founders Capital and Rocket Internet in 2016.

Christian Hernandez, managing partner at White Star Capital, commented: “Echo is bringing smart, data-driven solutions to a problem that affects millions of people, including members of my own family.

“The team’s focus on product design and collaboration with the NHS delights patients while benefiting doctors and the NHS. Echo puts the patient at the centre of the healthcare journey, streamlining medication management and hopefully improving their quality of life.”

The NHS spends almost £18bn a year on medication, but it is thought that between a third and a half of all medicines prescribed for long-term conditions are not taken as recommended.

Echo aims to rid the barriers to medication adherence, making it simpler for patients to order repeat prescriptions via smartphones and have medication delivered for free. Medication is dispensed via Echo’s network of community pharmacies.

Available to download on iOS, Android and via the official NHS app store, Echo works with 90 per cent of NHS England GP surgeries and has smart reminders to alert people when to take their medication and when they are running low.

Sai Lakshmi, Echo’s co-founder and CEO, explained: “White Star Capital brings decades of experience to scaling digital businesses and we’re excited to work with them on Echo’s next stage of growth.

“Our relentless focus on user experience has created a service that improves our quality of life while saving money for a cash-strapped NHS.

“With these funds we plan to invest in further R&D, build out our engineering team and scale the business, working with colleagues across the NHS and primary care.”

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