KDDI Open Innovation Fund III Invests in Fast DOCTOR Co., Ltd., Operator of Japan's Largest After-hours Urgent Care Platform "Fast Doctor"

August 25, 2021

KDDI Corporation

KDDI invested in Fast DOCTOR Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Dr. Ryo Kikuchi and Takashi Mizuno), provider of the "Fast DOCTOR" after-hours urgent care platform, which operates nationwide to administer urgent care consultations, online urgent care, and house calls at night and on holidays when it is more difficult to visit the hospital. The investment is implemented through KDDI Open Innovation Fund III (operated by Global Brain Corporation; hereinafter "KOIF III"), which aims to incubate new business co-creations with promising venture startups.

The "Fast DOCTOR" platform, which functions as a one-stop consultation center for urgent care outside regular hospital hours, works with medical institutions in 10 prefectures across Japan and employs more than 1,100 doctors (full-time and part-time). The platform aims to reduce both patient anxiety and the burden on family doctors by administering emergency hospital guidance, online urgent care, and house calls as needed at the request of patients, and by providing support with appropriate medical examinations at night and on holidays when medical resources are less available. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has developed business operations with high social contribution, such as responding to requests from local governments to provide medical support for home-care patients in Tokyo and Osaka, where COVID-19 cases are surging.

Through this investment, KDDI will utilize its customer contacts to help expand the "Fast DOCTOR" user base, and apply its IoT and 5G technology to accelerate digital transformation (DX) in the fields of health and medicine.

As "the company that customers feel closest to," KDDI will continue to promote business co-creation through investment in promising startup companies, and create new business models together with customers and partners.

(Reference)

• ■Overview of Fast DOCTOR

  • (1)

    Company name: Fast DOCTOR Co., Ltd.

  • (2)

    Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

  • (3)

    Date founded: July 2016

  • (4)

    Business activities: Operation and management of "Fast DOCTOR" platform

  • (5)

    Representatives: Dr. Ryo Kikuchi and Takashi Mizuno
    URL: https://fastdoctor.jp/corporate/ (in Japanese only)

• ■About KDDI Open Innovation Fund

  KDDI Open Innovation Fund is a corporate venture fund that supports a broad range of venture companies. The currently active KDDI Open Innovation Fund III focuses on the areas of AI, IoT, data marketing, fintech, B2B SaaS, and entertainment with a total operating fund of 20 billion yen.