Gotcare raises $1.2M to improve home care accessibility in Canada

Toronto-based startup secures pre-seed funding to scale operations and grow base of community home care workers

TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2021 /CNW/ - Gotcare, a leading home care service platform, has raised an oversubscribed round of $1.2M to improve home care accessibility and affordability for families in need across Canada. This pre-seed funding will be used to support the scale of operations and expansion of the base of community home care networks through Gotcare. Impact investors and organizations that participated in this round include SheEO, the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, and Red Thread Ventures.

Accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis, families are in dire need of home care, but labour shortages make affordable home care a challenge for most Canadian families. Fortunately, Gotcare leverages technological innovations like patient matching and real-time reporting, to reduce the cost of home care delivery by almost 30 per cent and provide accessible health solutions to those in need. This means savings can be redirected to pay care workers a living wage and attract more workers into the sector.

"Theindustry average for home care work is approximately $18 - $20 per hour. This is unacceptable; taking care of our elderly and disabled citizens should not be a minimum-wage paying job," said Chenny Xia, co-founder and CEO of Gotcare. "Care work is deeply undervalued and underdeveloped from a technological lens and our team is supporting the much-needed shift from 'survive' to 'thrive' by building a home care experience that we'd seek for our own loved ones – one that is modern, personalized, and equitable."

Gotcare receives patient referrals from occupational therapists and nurse case managers, and connects patients to the most ideal care aide using their advanced software platform. Gotcare also streamlines administrative tasks for care workers and families by taking care of all paperwork and reporting.

"We need imaginative fresh thinking to transform our healthcare system and Gotcare has captivated the hearts and minds of our community with their solid technology, their caring business model, and their human-centered approach," said Vicki Saunders, founder of SheEO. "Gotcare's model is a win for patients, health care professionals, and investors alike."

As Gotcare expands from coast-to-coast, the funding secured will help Gotcare to grow operations, explore partnerships, and develop alternative funding models - including a "care-at-cost" program built for patients and families who do not have adequate access to insurance or government funded home care. 

"Transforming healthcare is a key focus area for TELUS and the Pollinator Fund for Good. We welcome Gotcare into our portfolio of investments as a leader in providing Canadians with efficiently matched homecare services," said Blair Miller, Managing Partner, TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good. "Gotcare is setting the stage to improve the accessibility of healthcare in our communities and provide tangible solutions to those who need it most. This is part of our goals in improving the health and well-being of our communities."

"We are confident that this approach is what's going to 'fix' home care," said Xia. "Leveraging technology to pay care workers more while making care more accessible and affordable."

About SheEO
SheEO is a global community committed to transforming ourselves and systems by working on the World's To-Do List. Our collective project is to get resources to women and non-binary entrepreneurs with innovations that address critical global priorities. To date, we have funded and supported 100+ brilliant innovators in five countries; 45% of whom are Black, Indigenous, and women of colour. With a 95% payback rate on loans, SheEO is modelling a new, radically generous way of organizing resources to build inclusive economies and communities. Learn more and get involved: sheeo.world 

About TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good
The $100 million TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good is one of the world's largest corporate impact funds, and will focus its investment on for-profit companies and founders committed to driving social innovation. The TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good is an extension of TELUS' long-standing commitment to leveraging the power of technology to drive positive social and environmental outcomes for all Canadians by funding the development of solutions for transforming healthcare, caring for our planet, supporting responsible agriculture and enabling inclusive communities. To learn more about the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good, please visit: telus.com/pollinatorfund.

About Gotcare
Gotcare is a healthcare provider transforming how home care is delivered. Their patent-pending technology increases patient access to care and reduces the cost of care delivery. Gotcare employs the home care workers they work with and pays a living wage. Learn more or submit a care request: gotcare.ca.

SOURCE Gotcare

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