$3m · Seed · Healthtech · Lisbon, Portugal
Portuguese digital health startup Usawa Care has raised a $3m seed round led by Armilar, with participation from Start Ventures, Oxy Capital and angel investor Jorge Marques.
Usawa Care provides subscription-based paediatric care through WhatsApp, combining AI-assisted information gathering and clinical workflow tools with decisions made by certified doctors. The company says its service supports more than 12,000 children and handles around 1,000 consultations a month.
The funding will support product and engineering hires, the launch of an adult healthcare service in October and the company's first steps into the US market, where it plans to work with paediatric hospitals and insurers.
Extending the care model beyond paediatrics
Usawa's expansion tests whether a continuous, chat-led model built for families can serve a broader adult population without diluting clinical quality. The company plans to organise its adult service by age and include monitoring for chronic conditions and risk factors.
The US push introduces a different route to market. Rather than beginning with a direct consumer launch, Usawa is pursuing partnerships with large paediatric hospitals and insurers, giving it potential distribution while it adapts the product to a new healthcare system.
