Medical tourism and evaluation co iMER raises $7m

Viola Private Equity invested in the provider of remote medical and medical tourism services.

Viola Private Equity has invested $7 million in iMER Medical Services Ltd., a provider of remote medical and medical tourism services. Until now, iMER has been financed by its founders, including Israelis, chairman Ady Jakubovitz and CEO Ilan Tamir. The company operates in Israel, Europe, and Russia. In Israel, the company mainly works with Hadassah Medical Organization, which is also a shareholder.

Viola Private Equity general partner Jonathan Kolber will become iMER's new chairman. He said, "iMER is a technology enabled service company. Before our investment, it had no institutional investor, and we believe that with the help our guidance and money, the company will be able to scale up its business and achieve rapid growth. We're considering acquiring other activities in the company."

iMER is unique in its field because it offers both remote medicine and medical tourism services, including medevac flights for patients if needed. The company has an air ambulance equipped with an incubator for urgent and complex treatment of premature infants. Most companies in the business offer only one of the three types of remote medical services.

iMER was founded in 2004 to provide a complete platform of medical services for patients suffering from complex diseases, at a time when most medical systems offers specialist-based services, and the patient has to organize the treatments he or she needs. Only later was the emphasis put on moving the patient to a location which will provide the appropriate care.

iMER has developed software which provides remote medical advice on tests and images, offering personalized medical care for all medical system encountered.

Headquartered at Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, iMER has 55 employees in Israel, Austria, Cyprus, Russia, and Ukraine. Most patients come from Russia and neighboring countries or from the Balkans to obtain medical treatment in Europe or Israel.

It is difficult to estimate the size of the medical tourism market in Israel and the world, but some estimates put the size of the market in Israel at €250 million a year.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 27, 2013

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013

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