App for ambulances: How Medulance assisted 15 lakh patients through its 7,500-strong fleet

Medical transportation startup Medulance caters to the rising demand for ambulance services across Indian cities and towns through its 7,500-vehicle fleet that reaches the patient’s doorstep within 15-18 minutes of an emergency call. The Delhi-based startup recently raised Rs 2 crore on Shark Tank India; the seed funding was led by Sharks Namita Thapar, Aman Gupta, and Peyush Bansal, at a valuation of Rs 100 crore.

Medulance claims that there’s been “significant change” post the TV appearance. “The show has helped highlight Medulance’s work and generated validation among the public, resulting in more visibility, credibility, and awareness among customers. We’ve experienced a surge in inquiries and interest, as people are keen to learn more about the services we offer,” Pranav Bajaj, Co-Founder of Medulance, tells Business Today.

Launched in 2017, Medulance has worked towards bettering India’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) ecosystem, which is not only fragmented but also inadequate. Industry data suggests that in developed countries, an ambulance takes less than 7 minutes to reach a patient. In India, however, it takes an average of 45+ minutes, with each extra minute reducing a patient’s chances of survival by 7-10 per cent. And that’s what Medulance aims to solve with its tech-enabled ambulance aggregator platform.

Till date, the startup has assisted 15 lakh patients by deploying 7,500 ambulances in 500+ cities. Medulance receives 1,000-odd service requests per day, of which 80 per cent is fulfilled. “While the company owns a certain percentage of vehicles, a vendor network is required to ensure that services are available and accessible even in the remotest areas. We provide these partners with upskilling opportunities and technology while building business with them,” Bajaj explains. 

Over the next 2-3 years, as the demand for emergency response systems increases, Medulance is planning to expand its fleet to over 20,000 ambulances in 1,000 cities. The end goal is to have the maximum number of ambulances per pin code to ensure faster response time. “We have OEM partners to ensure a dynamic model of the fleet. Our asset utilization rate is not based on utilization [of the vehicle] but on the response time,” says the co-founder.

Medulance claims to have been profitable over the last three years. “Currently, our revenue stands at Rs 24 crore with a net profit margin of 24 per cent. We aim to close FY23 with a revenue of Rs 40 crore and a net profit of 22 per cent,” Bajaj reveals. 

The company has partnered with a bunch of hospitals, corporations and even residential complexes to spread awareness about its services and reduce response times.

Bajaj elaborates, “We seamlessly share patient data with the emergency rooms of hospitals to help them prepare for the incoming patient. In the next 2-3 years, we plan to actively grow our hospital partnerships by providing technology for quality care through our 5G ambulance. This will allow us to offer better care and faster response times for patients, while also improving communication and data sharing between our ambulances and partner hospitals.”

Medulance competes with the likes of StanPlus, DIAL4242, Ambee as well as local ambulance vendors. However, “local vendors are not considered competition as Medulance works with them and helps them upskill while providing regular business, making it profitable for both”, Bajaj states, adding, “These factors contribute to our success and competitive edge against both organized players and local ambulance suppliers.”

Earlier in 2023, Medulance also partnered with CarDekho, with the latter integrating the former’s services into its app and website, with the goal of providing people with reliable medical emergency services. “The partnership is beneficial for both companies as it provides a unique value proposition to CarDekho users, giving immediate access to EMS, which is not available to other common users,” says the founder. 

With the pandemic having exposed the wide demand-supply gap in the emergency healthcare sector, services like Medulance are only getting started. 

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