Globally, public healthcare systems are facing numerous challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic, particularly under the increasing pressure of an aging population in Western countries. The "NHS crisis" in the UK often makes headlines in the media. In this context, more and more private enterprises are recognizing market opportunities. Cera, a UK company focused on home healthcare services, recently secured $150 million in funding, most of which is debt. Although the company has not disclosed specific valuation and financing structure, this round of funding was led by BDT & MSD Partners and Schroders Capital, aiming to expand Cera's technology platform.
Cera's business relies on its advanced artificial intelligence technology, utilizing proprietary data models while also leveraging Google's Gemini AI platform and Microsoft's ChatGPT. According to CrunchBase, Cera has raised over $407 million to date. Its investors include notable firms such as Early Market and Guinness Ventures.
A spokesperson for Cera stated that the company achieved EBITA profitability in 2023 and is projected to attain positive free cash flow in 2024, gradually becoming a self-sustaining business. Founder and CEO Dr. Ben Maruthappu noted that Cera is moving towards profitability and expanding the scope of home healthcare services, including nursing, physical therapy, and mental health services.
Cera's caregivers use the company's application to schedule work and record patient symptoms, while the AI model analyzes this unstructured data to predict the risk of patients developing illnesses or injuries. Cera claims that through this system, hospitalization rates have decreased by 70%, incidents of patient falls have reduced by 20%, and patient discharge rates have increased fivefold.
Currently, Cera holds a competitive advantage in the UK market, with competitors including Home Instead and Bluebird Care. Maruthappu emphasized that Cera's goal is to alleviate the pressure on the NHS and help it provide more medical services to other patients. Cera's AI-driven platform has also been independently analyzed to save the UK healthcare system £1 million a day.
Through its technological innovations, Cera is gradually becoming the largest non-NHS healthcare provider in the UK, serving approximately 30 million people, employing 10,000 caregivers and nurses, and collaborating with over 150 local governments and two-thirds of the NHS integrated care systems.
