Altibbi: Just what the doctor ordered

Altibbi.com is the Middle East and North Africa's first and largest digital health platform with a large database of medical content, as well as a 24/7 subscription-based real-time connection with on-demand doctors.

Jalil Allabadi, founder and CEO at Altibbi, derived the idea of the Middle East's largest digital health platform from his father Dr Abdelaziz Allabadi, a general surgeon. When Dr Allabadi returned from Germany to Jordan, he realised there was a lack of medical and health understanding among the masses in the Middle East. People did not know how to take care of their health and more importantly, the information was lacking in Arabic. Dr Allabadi decided to compile an extensive Arabic medical dictionary in 2004.

"The dictionary was a culmination of his life's work and an attempt to make this resource available to the Arabic-speaking masses. During my MBA, I worked with my father through a class project on finding the best way to reach the masses and that's how we realised the region needed a full-fledged medical portal, not just a dictionary," he explains.

Eight years later, a grad school project evolved into a one-stop-shop for Arabic users seeking reliable healthcare-related resources and certified medical practitioners.

Altibbi.com is the Middle East and North Africa's first and largest digital health platform with a large database of medical content, as well as a 24/7 subscription-based real-time connection with on-demand doctors.

It provides 'connected health' services and solutions in 10 markets across the Arab world, primarily delivered through its flagship mobile app and online presence. Altibbi has rapidly evolved into one of the most popular Arabic mobile apps on both iOS and Android platforms, with the potential for expansion in new emerging markets.

"Altibbi makes healthcare accessible, especially to those who can't afford the costs, and in refugee communities as well. The platform's newest feature is a monthly 'on-call' subscription service where subscribers receive unlimited, 24-hour access to Altibbi's network of general practitioners," Allabadi tells Khaleej Times.

To date, there are more than 50,000 users of the call doctor service, 10 million monthly visits, 12,000 verified doctors, 1.6 million pages of health-related content, 640+ thousand health questions annually, and 217+ thousand page views annually.

Altibbi recently raised a new round of funding amounting to $6.5 million. The round was co-lead by Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) and DASH Ventures with the participation of new strategic investors TAMM, RIMCO Investments, Endeavor's Catalyst Fund and other undisclosed investors.

"The proceeds of the latest round will primarily be used to expand Altibbi's digital health offering for businesses and consumers in the Mena region," says the CEO.

"On the content side, Altibbi intends to grow its presence and further expand its Arabic medical content library. Furthermore, we will build on Altibbi's free Q&A platform that currently answers 1,000 daily questions through its directory of 12,000 verified Arab doctors," Allabadi explains.

"On the telehealth side, Altibbi aims to expand its offering on premium health plans to the Arab world: real-time, round-the-clock telehealth services and unlimited access to high quality primary care local doctors. Altibbi will further invest in developing integrated industry-specific solutions for businesses in the Mena. The telehealth solution will enable large employers to enhance employee wellness, drive operational efficiency and save on healthcare costs," he continues.

Walid Mansour, partner and chief investment officer at MEVP, believes that Altibbi is the undisputed leader in providing access to doctors on-demand as well as having a vast and expanding content library.

"Altibbi's growth over the past year has given us conviction in the company's leadership and with re-investing and providing additional capital for it to scale. The team at Altibbi has the passion, expertise and energy to take this company to the next step," Mansour says.

"MEVP invests in young, experienced entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas or proprietary technologies that can grow to become leading businesses in their industries, and we believe Altibbi has the potential to be the leading digital healthcare platform in the region. As digitisation becomes prevalent across various elements in our lives, healthcare is no different as individuals seek to gain control of their health through a trusted and reliable source anywhere and anytime," he adds.

Ayman Sharaiha, co-founder and COO at Altibbi, says: "The funding is fully dedicated to further growing the company, which has established an exceptional track record as a premier provider of trusted health and wellness information in the region serving over six million people every month."

After completing six years of his successful venture, Allabadi thinks "it was a great learning experience".

"Anyone starting a business in the region should be expecting hurdles at every turn. Although there are moments of utter helplessness and frustration, the satisfaction at each milestone and at each customer review telling us how we changed his/her life is unlimited," Allabadi summarises his experience.

- riaz@khaleejtimes.com