A Tampa-based telehealth company has closed a $1.5 million seed round.
eRemede, formerly known as eCover Global, shared the funding news to Tampa Bay Inno on Tuesday morning. Two undisclosed angel investors were the sole participants, with one hailing from North Carolina while the other has roots in the Midwest, according to eRemede founder Ben Sever.
Sever plans to close a Series A by Q1 or Q2 of next year for an undisclosed amount.
Founded originally as eCover Global in May 2019, the company initially provided an instant messaging system to ease patients' questions and concerns during surgical pre-and post-operation. Sever's COO, Brandon Bowen, filed a lawsuit against Sever in October 2020, alleging he misspent company funds. Bowen is no longer affiliated with the company, and the case was dismissed in February 2021.
With the company's relaunch as eRemede, Sever and CTO Ryan Budden wanted to flesh out the offerings beyond pre- and post-operations. Telehealth's massive growth fueled that strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
"When we first started, we went from trying to be disruptors to now being course correctors," Sever said. "Beforehand, we had doctors that took eight weeks to take the platform seriously, and now this is a blessing to be able to course correct to what people want."
The platform provides the messaging system seen in eCover Global and offers a multi-media resource library of case studies, educational resources, and product care. There are personalized reminders for patients, both for check-ups and when to get prescriptions. The platform also aggregates social links, combining information put across social media platforms into one area.
Sever, born and raised in Temple Terrace, has a significant focus on the Tampa Bay area. He is one of the first companies in the newly-launched Tampa Bay Wave CORE program. All 15 of his employees are Tampa Bay-based, save for Budden, who is based in Nashville. He hopes to have 50 to 60 employees from Tampa, with a total of 75 across the country across the nation.
He credits Tampa Bays' tech scene as much as himself self for the company's success.
"It's a very supportive community," he said. "I got my software background working in New York, and the difference between there and here is there, you have to bulldoze your way to make a name for yourself. Here, it's very easy as an entrepreneur to get affiliated with the Chamber, the Wave, and people will come to you."
The company currently has 30 clients, ranging from sole proprietors to large health care institutions. Sever has a focus to get to 50 by the end of the year, with a national expansion.
The company's app will be available on the app store in six to eight weeks, Sever said, focusing on getting local input in real-time from the community.
"We want community feedback on modules, but we really want it to be a community cohesion," he said. "We want something not just built by us, but by Tampa."
