Kitchener-Waterloo-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Scribenote has closed $11 million CAD ($8.2 million USD) in seed funding as it looks to advance the capabilities of its scribe tool for veterinarians.
The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from Inovia Capital, the Velocity Fund, and undisclosed angel investors.
A 2022 study found that almost 90 percent of veterinarians surveyed across Canada suffered from burnout.
Scribenote has developed an AI-powered medical scribe designed to help veterinarians streamline their documentation process. The startup found its origins in 2019 when CEO Ryan Gallagher, a University of Waterloo engineering student at the time, noticed his sister and small animal veterinarian Dr. Katie Gallagher consistently worked late to catch up on medical records.
Canadian veterinarians are reportedly facing increasing levels of burnout due to heavy workloads, staffing shortages, and emotional stress. A 2022 study found that almost 90 percent of veterinarians surveyed across Canada suffered from burnout, which can include high exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low professional efficacy.
The impact of burnout among veterinarians can be devastating. According to international advocacy group Not One More Vet, vets are 2.5 times more likely than the general public to die by suicide.
Scribenote, co-founded by CEO Ryan Gallagher, veterinary lead Dr. Katie Gallagher, CPO Alina Pavel, and veterinary student Emily Merry, records conversations between veterinarians and clients and uses AI to quickly generate accurate medical records. The platform also automates client communication and dental charts, allowing veterinary professionals to focus on patient care.
“As the market-leading AI scribe for veterinarians, Scribenote automates burdensome documentation requirements, so vets can focus on the parts of the job they love,” Olivia Moore, partner at a16z, said in a statement. “The Scribenote team has deep empathy for the daily challenges veterinarians face and a hands-on understanding of their workflow.”
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The startup claims its customers have reported the platform has allowed them to take lunch breaks, spend more time with family, and focus more on their patients. Some have said the tool is particularly useful for note-taking if they lose mobility in their hands, which is another common ailment faced by veterinary professionals.
With the new funding, Scribenote plans to improve its platform’s AI capabilities. The company’s current focus is on developing personalized AI scribes for each veterinarian and creating a streamlined platform for efficiently editing and finalizing records.
“We see a world where pet care is so affordable and accessible that anyone can experience the precious bond between animals and humans, and we want to build technology that increasingly enables that world,” Ryan Gallagher said in a statement.
Feature image courtesy of Unsplash. Photo by Alexis Antoine.