H4D, the French telemedicine specialist, has raised €15 million.

Previous  investors Atoga, Aviva France, Bpifrance and LBO France were joined by Supernova Invest in the new funding round.

The money will accelerate the development of H4D’s services around the Consult Station, the first connected telemedicine booth, by deploying it in new territories.

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, one doctor in three has consulted patients remotely, while according to French National Insurance statistics, the number of in-person consultations has fallen by 40% for generalists, and by 50% for specialists. Equally worrying is the fact that, according to the office for national statistics (Drees), 3.8 million people now live in a ‘medical desert’ zone in 2018, up from 2.5 million in 2015.

During these difficult times, H4D has been on the frontlines from the early days of the epidemic in mid-March, deploying its professional medical solutions under tight deadlines (sometimes in 24 hours) in collaboration with authorities and physicians.

Initially working with local authorities, H4D deployed its connected telemedicine booths in town halls to ensurecontinuity of care and treatment for chronically ill patients.

Several health centers and towns in the Ile-de-France region around Paris were equipped, including Mennecy, Rosny-sous-Bois and the Red Cross health center in Villeneuve-la-Garenne.

Then in mid-March, to support health professionals and manage patient flows, H4D moved to deploy in hospital emergency units such as the Ramsay Health ‘Vert-Galant’ hospital in the greater Paris area.

The telemedicine booth helped protect medical and paramedical staff and provided initial screening and detection of suspected COVID-19 cases, saving precious time for nurses at the peak of the epidemic.

H4D has already partnered with large corporations like Airbus, Vinci, Bouygues, and Carrefour to improve the health and quality of work life of their employees.