160 Health: How Did It Grow Its User Base to 68 Million After Listing on NEEQ?

By Zhou Chao, Bu Yan

Since 2016, the consumer-facing (C-end) internet healthcare model has increasingly fallen out of favor. A broad consensus has emerged that addressing the challenges of difficult and costly access to medical care in China requires starting from the hospital side.

Internet healthcare companies represented by Health 160 have entered the appointment registration market from the hospital side. Although their operational model is asset-heavy, they not only establish close relationships with hospitals but also provide patients with high-quality medical services, undoubtedly resulting in better user experience and stickiness.

As can be seen, 2016 will be a pivotal year for Health 160. At the end of 2015, Health 160 listed on the New Third Board, becoming the first internet healthcare company to go public in China’s capital market. In January 2016, Health 160 unveiled its “Connect, Open, Ecosystem” strategy, aiming to build a thriving internet healthcare ecosystem in collaboration with a wide range of third-party partners.

Having established a relatively mature operational model, Health 160 has expanded beyond its home base in Guangdong, actively entering the northern market represented by Beijing and the East China market represented by Shanghai. Meanwhile, Health 160 will continue to strengthen its advantage in user traffic by enhancing cooperation with tech giants such as BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent) and intensifying offline promotional efforts. In terms of its profitability model, Health 160 will conduct further exploration and trials centered on medical services, pharmaceuticals, and health insurance.



 

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