Kaiser Permanente Ventures Invests $10 Million in Vidyo to Advance Telehealth Solutions

According to recent reports, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, the venture capital arm of Kaiser Permanente, has made a significant bet on telemedicine by investing $10 million in Vidyo, a company that provides visual communication solutions. In December 2015, Vidyo announced that it would integrate its core strength—high-definition video communications—with electronic health record systems and clinical workflows.

Vidyo also secured $5 million from existing investors. To date, the company has raised $163 million, with investors including Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Rho Ventures, Sevin Rosen Funds, and QuestMark Partners. The company will put this investment to good use to accelerate growth in the software-based video market.

Vidyo, a leading innovator in video communications technology, was founded in New Jersey, USA, in 2005. The company specializes in the research, development, and production of high-definition video conferencing systems. Powered by the same underlying technology as Google Hangouts, Vidyo launched VidyoWay, the first free video conferencing service, to expand its market share and compete with established video service providers such as Cisco and Polycom. VidyoWay enables users to join video sessions via tablets and smartphones. Designed for simplicity and ease of use, it features a web-based interface that requires no client installation, delivering a seamless user experience. With notable achievements in cultural entertainment, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, Vidyo has emerged as a pioneer in healthcare video platforms. In response to the recent surge in digital health, Vidyo has introduced an industry solution known as “Interactive Patient Care” (IPC).

With the advancement of internet and information technology, internet-based healthcare is flourishing, with its development pace accelerating significantly in recent years. People are increasingly inclined to seek health information online. The American Telemedicine Association has been established for over two decades, during which many experts have utilized telemedicine technologies to diagnose conditions and monitor treatment for patients in remote or rural areas. Telemedicine is regarded as an innovative solution to improve the quality of patient care and enhance the health status of the broader population, significantly reducing healthcare costs and alleviating the financial burden on both patients and the government. The greatest advantage of “telemedicine” lies in its ability to provide meticulous and considerate services to patients while ensuring the safety of medical personnel. This is particularly beneficial when patients with infectious diseases need to be admitted to biosafety isolation units, which poses considerable challenges for their family members and the doctors and nurses who must frequently examine them. Currently, various forms of telemedicine services in the United States have reached millions of people, including video solutions provided by Vidyo.

For example, after Ebola patient Richard Sacra was admitted to the isolation ward at the Nebraska Medical Center, the medical team partnered with the video communications company Vidyo to provide a telemedicine platform. This enabled family members, healthcare providers, and the patient to communicate and interact effectively without physical contact. As a result, his family could monitor and support him via video daily and converse with him at any time, while the isolation measures did not hinder the delivery of medical care, thereby facilitating a safer healthcare journey.

Senior Vice President Amnon Gavish stated, “Integrating Vidyo’s technology with IPC solutions not only meets the growing market demand but, more importantly, enhances patient satisfaction as well as the quality of care and productivity.”

“We are committed to collaborating with innovative organizations to support and help improve patient health, ensuring healthcare access for the broader population,” said Jordan Kramer, Director of Kaiser Permanente Ventures. “We are delighted to partner with Vidyo this time. As our corporate strategy advances, integrating remote monitoring, voice calls, video consultations, and other functionalities into healthcare services will not only provide convenience for patients but also enhance the overall quality of care.”

According to Forbes, the software platform can be integrated into electronic medical record (EMR) systems to enhance monitoring in intensive care units (ICUs) and enable remote control and management. It can also be combined with other medical tools, such as patient engagement systems, clinical carts, robots, and direct-to-consumer healthcare services. In the healthcare sector, Vidyo’s partners include Mercy, American Well, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, WellPoint, Philips, and Kaiser Permanente.

Compiled by | Chen Kun

Editor: Zhang Nan