SINGAPORE - Home-grown digital healthcare company WhiteCoat Holdings, which recently launched its services in Indonesia and Vietnam, opened its regional headquarters on Wednesday with an eye to further expansion in South-east Asia.
The 8,000 sq ft headquarters is situated in the one-north science hub.
“Setting up our regional headquarters in Singapore will allow us to tap the strong ecosystem of tech and business talents here, and bring them together to cross-pollinate ideas and further innovation in the healthcare sector,” said WhiteCoat’s founder and chief executive Bryan Koh.
WhiteCoat, which began operations in 2018, saw usage of its mobile app peak during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it became the official telemedicine provider under the Government’s Home Recovery Programme. People who caught the virus or were quarantined could consult a doctor over a video call using the app.
The company currently works with around 1,000 health and wellness providers comprising general practitioners, specialists, allied healthcare professionals and pharmacies, and has provided digital health services to over 1.5 million people in the region.
WhiteCoat has plans to further expand into new markets such as Malaysia and Thailand, while enhancing its health and wellness offerings, such as specialist care and mental wellness. The firm also intends to seek local and regional partnerships with players such as insurers, healthcare providers and corporations, in a bid to further spur digital transformation in the healthcare sector.
Mr Koh said WhiteCoat aims to empower people in the region to take better care of their health, by providing healthcare at their fingertips through its app.
“Our regional aspirations are to bring our made-in-Singapore brand to the region, providing our users with the same premium level of healthcare access, regardless of where they are in South-east Asia,” he said.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, noted that WhiteCoat was among the pioneer firms under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) regulatory sandbox for telemedicine and mobile medicine.
The Licensing Experimentation and Adaptation Programme was launched in 2018 to spur the development of new and innovative models and services in healthcare with best practices while monitored by MOH.
Four-year-old Whitecoat is an example of how Singapore companies can tap technological innovations and government initiatives to remain resilient amid the challenges of an ever-changing world, Mr Lee said.
“I encourage companies and employees to explore ways to leverage our diverse and thriving digital ecosystem, embrace new growth platforms and skills, and look out for opportunities in the region,” he added.
