Merck Champions an Innovative Approach in Southeast Asian Healthcare

US pharmaceutical giant Merck, known outside North America as MSD, has marked its first investment in an Asia Pacific health tech startup by backing Thailand-based HD. The firm’s support comes amid a broader trend of Big Tech and pharmaceutical companies driving the adoption of artificial intelligence within the healthcare industry.

HDmall: A Comprehensive Digital Marketplace

HD has developed HDmall—a platform designed to bring clarity to a fragmented medical landscape in Southeast Asia. The marketplace enables users to easily locate healthcare providers such as hospitals and clinics, access specific surgeries and checkups, and benefit from aggregated services that lower overall costs. Additionally, flexible installment payment options empower consumers to manage expenses more convenient.

Key Features of HDmall Include: - A wide array of healthcare services ranging from routine checkups to specialized surgeries - Aggregated offerings that ensure competitive pricing - Flexible payment plans designed for consumer convenience

By operating similarly to an "Amazon of healthcare," HDmall allows providers to offer productized services rather than suspecting an individual provider model, aligning well with local consumer behavior.

Impressive Funding and Strategic Partnerships

HD's innovative business model has attracted significant investor interest. The startup recently secured $7.8 million in equity funding, now totaling $18 million in combined investments. This round was led by Merck Sharp & Dohme, marking Merck’s inaugural investment in a health tech company in the Asia Pacific region. The funding round also saw participation from SBI Ven Capital, M Venture Partners, FEBE Ventures, and Partech Partners.

CEO and co-founder Sheji Ho highlighted that Merck’s interest partly stemmed from HDmall’s success in facilitating extensive HPV vaccine sales online, a service that complements Merck's portfolio. With more than 30,000 SKUs from over 2,500 healthcare facilities and 400,000 paying customers across Thailand and Indonesia, HDmall generated an annual gross transaction volume of $100 million, with plans to reach 5,000 healthcare providers and 600,000 patients by 2025.

Harnessing AI to Enhance Healthcare Delivery

Embracing technological innovation, HD has integrated artificial intelligence into its platform with the launch of its chatbot, Jib AI. Trained on anonymized healthcare data and advanced large language models, Jib AI now manages nearly 60% of customer interactions, ensuring quality and immediate 24/7 responses.

Over the next 12 months, HD plans to expand Jib AI’s capabilities to include:

• Order and refund processing
• Assisted checkouts and appointment scheduling
• Electronic health record integration and medical information retrieval

This strategic use of AI helps healthcare professionals—ranging from nurses to surgeons—focus on patient care while streamlining administrative tasks.

Strategic Expansion and the Future of Southeast Asian Healthcare

HD’s approach incorporates a unique “B2C2B strategy.” Unlike many telehealth startups that primarily focus on virtual care, HD leverages B2C success to transition into enterprise monetization, tailoring its services to a market that is increasingly self-reliant. In regions where patients often bypass family doctors and directly seek specialist care, platforms like HDmall provide clarity and facilitate the comparison of healthcare offerings.

Looking forward, HD aims to:

• Grow its network to over 5,000 healthcare providers and increase patient engagement to 600,000 by 2025
• Expand into new markets such as Vietnam and Myanmar, which share similar healthcare system characteristics
• Forge stronger partnerships with insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms, employers, and educational institutions

This strategy positions HDmall not only as a pivotal marketplace but also as a critical facilitator for a shift towards more transparent, cost-effective, and digitally empowered healthcare in Southeast Asia.