Press Coverage

International Women’s Day (8 March) provides the ideal opportunity for employers in the healthtech sector to reassess gender diversity, according to Siilo CEO, Joost Bruggeman and COO, Esther Van Der Meer. Here both share their perspectives…

“Since the early days of instant messaging, healthcare professionals have been exchanging clinical data through commercial messenger services, such as Whatsapp and Signal.

Achieving the full potential for technological development in healthcare is currently beyond any hospital’s scope to manage. Technologies have advanced far ahead of our regulatory institutions’ ability to validate and approve them.

The global pandemic has provided a catalyst for the rapid adoption of specialist digital communications tool, Siilo, among healthcare professionals in the UK, according to statistics revealed today by the Dutch company.

The last 18 – 24 months have been trying for everyone, but particularly for healthcare professionals – information-sharing and fast decision-making has been essential as they learnt to deal with a hitherto unknown virus.

With the Covid-19 pandemic magnifying our needs within healthcare communication, the sector expects rapid growth through 2025. Meanwhile, it will be of utmost importance to identify user needs and to increase security measures for patient data protection.

Siilo, the Amsterdam-based secure collaboration app for healthcare professionals, has raised a $10.5 million Series A funding round. With the investment, Siilo plans to expand its product offering, as well as increase network growth across Europe.

A messaging app for the healthcare sector aims to grow its existing base of 140,000 users in the UK following an £8.6m investment round. Siilo has users in more than 200 trusts across the country as NHS staff can freely download and use its app.

The collaboration tool for medics wants to ensure you never have to explain why you’re in hospital 20 times over ever again.

For co-founder and CEO Joost Bruggeman, the pandemic emphasised the use for his product. But it also made clear which parts were neglected and where there is work to be done.

The Covid-19 crisis is acting as a catalyst for the whole digital healthcare and telemedicine industry. It’s not only patient-facing apps that are in need right now. Communication tools for doctors are also booming.

Many technology companies are rallying to provide rapid, and in most cases free, access to solutions and systems that offer the potential to reduce some of the pressure facing healthcare professionals at this difficult time.

Joost Bruggeman, co-founder of the healthcare messaging start-up Siilo, said that patient data shared on WhatsApp inspired him to develop the Siilo app, which is being used in more than 60 NHS organisations.

St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London has begun the rollout of the secure clinical messenger solution Siilo enabling healthcare professionals to share patient information.

The start up Siilo Messenger has reached a milestone of 140,000 unique users, doubling its user base in less than 12 months.

Consumer messaging apps like WhatsApp are not specifically designed with the safe sharing of highly sensitive medical information in mind. This is where Dutch startup Siilo has been carving a niche for itself for the past 2.5 years.

The leading players in health and medical technology clearly have a profitable future. David Prosser lists Siilo as one of Europe’s most innovative up-and-coming healthcare businesses.

30% of Dutch doctors have collectively embraced one leading solution. What can the UK learn when it comes to using a secure mobile messenger in healthcare?”

“It is inspiring that doctors can take control of creating their own digital networks among colleagues, independent of their location.”