MARCOL acquires German telemedicine platform Fernarzt.com
Heartbeat Labs remains a minority shareholder and strategic partner
London/ Berlin, August 3rd, 2020. The pan-European investment group MARCOL, has acquired the Berlin-based telemedicine platform Fernarzt.com to join their expanding digital health group HealthHero. The strategic acquisition is an addition to the rapidly expanding healthcare portfolio of the London-based investment house. Fernarzt’s seed investor Heartbeat Labs, that had operationally launched the company in 2017, will stay on board as a minority shareholder and strategic partner for the German market
Fernarzt is a telemedicine platform that is connecting patients and doctors for questionnaire-based services and online consultations. The company has, since its inception, grown strongly and is offering thousands of consultations each month.
Ranjan Singh, MD, MARCOL Digital Health and CEO of HealthHero said: “Fernarzt is a great company, with an excellent team behind it and we are very pleased to welcome it to the HealthHero family. Germany is an exciting market for digital health, and Fernarzt provides us a solid platform to build the leading player in this sector in Germany.
“MARCOL is a highly experienced investor in the healthcare industry and the ideal new majority investor of Fernarzt in order to shape the next level of growth”, says Dr. Johannes Keienburg, Managing Director at Heartbeat Labs. “We are looking forward to further supporting MARCOL and the Fernarzt team in the strategy going forward.”
“MARCOL has built a very synergetic portfolio in the healthcare market. We are excited to be part of HealthHero and together, we will tackle the next phase of growth and further expand as well as improve our service for both patients and doctors – in order to build a leading German and European telemedicine platform”, says Felix Kaiser, Managing Director of Fernarzt.
Through the cash transaction, MARCOL has acquired 90 percent of the company while Heartbeat Labs holds a minority share of 10 percent. The parties agreed that further details of the deal will not be disclosed.
About Fernarzt.com
Fernarzt.com was founded by Heartbeat Labs in 2017 as a questionnaire-based B2C telemedicine service for the prescription and the coordinated shipping of Rx drugs. Since June 2020, Fernarzt is also offering live video consultations to its customers. During the corona pandemic, the company added several corona services, e.g. contactless PCR and antibody tests. To date, Fernarzt is offering thousands of consultations each month.
About MARCOL
MARCOL is a privately owned, pan-European investment house with a 44-year track record in equity investment and asset management, helping businesses grow and succeed internationally.
Known for creating and realising maximum values through hands-on management, MARCOL has developed a large and varied portfolio, which it continues to expand with a flexible approach, entrepreneurial mindset, and a focus on innovation.
About HealthHero
HealthHero is a virtual healthcare provider, bringing together human expertise and digital convenience to provide quality remote healthcare. It offers remote access to experienced doctors and expert clinicians directly to patients, insurance-policy holders, and employees.
HealthHero provides a full spectrum of primary care services delivered through a suite of digital tools, and is the preferred supplier for over 300 businesses, covering over 4 million individual lives and currently operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Republic of Ireland.