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London-based LVNDR raises £1.5M as it seeks to address inequalities within sexual health system

Historically, LGBTQ+ patients have faced significant challenges in receiving affirmative, inclusive, and respectful care as deep-rooted homophobia and transphobia still exist directly or indirectly within healthcare systems. Based out of London, LVNDR is all set to change the game.

Secured £1.5M

In the latest development, LVNDR, a digital healthcare platform built by and for the LGBTQ+ community, has closed an oversubscribed £1.5 million seed funding round led by Octopus Ventures. 

Other investors, including Calm Storm Ventures, Soho Ventures (UK), and prominent angel investors like Pam Garside, Harry Briggs, Alistair Murray, and Angelia Muller, also participated. 

How will the funding be used?

The UK company will use the funds to invest in new product development and scale its commercialisation activities through partnerships with the UK’s leading healthcare providers. The company also is expanding its team with a focus on key senior roles in product, operations, and partnerships. 

How LVNDR was born?

The three founders – Christopher El Badaoui, Joshua Armistead-Wood, and Araxie Boyadjian, have each faced unique personal experiences within sexual healthcare systems. 

These experiences inspired them to commit to the LVNDR mission of creating a digital sexual healthcare haven for the LGBTQ+ community and spurs positive change in both clinical outcomes and the perceptions around LGBTQ+ sexual health. 

Personal & adaptive approach to sexual health

Founded in 2020, LVNDR offers an inclusive, safe, and improved destination for sexual care. 

With LVNDR, users benefit from a more personal and adaptive approach to sexual health, which will aid in the reduction of anxiety, distrust, and uncertainty they currently experience. 

By integrating into, and modernising existing healthcare services through their platform, the company aims to facilitate tailored remote clinical care, effectively simplifying the process for both the clinician and patient. 

Christopher El Badaoui, CEO at LVNDR: “Healthcare is failing the LGBTQ+ community. Queer and trans individuals have faced systemic discrimination and challenges in receiving an affirmative, inclusive, and respectful environment of care. At LVNDR, we want to change that, turning a feared experience into a celebratory one. We want to empower individuals to feel seen and have control over their health choices by providing access to tailored sexual health and gender identity services through an integrated digital clinic. Having experienced inadequate care across multiple continents, I think it is time we bring about a solution that closes the gap that exists between heteronomative and queer individuals.”

Will Gibbs, Principal and health investor at Octopus Ventures: “The two most important drivers for long-term health improvements are patient engagement and long-term adherence, but it’s impossible to achieve meaningful results on these two measures unless patients feel comfortable. Time and time again, when health services are designed by communities for their members, they achieve superior results on both vectors, and my experiences as a gay man have also reinforced this. Once you have been to an LGBTQ sexual health clinic (e.g. Dean Street Express) it is hard to think why a patient would go anywhere else. Building a business where the clinicians understand, and even look and speak like patients is the first step in building a category-leading health company that can solve issues that are felt in every country in the world. It is rare to find founders more driven to lead this change than the LVNDR team and, when successful, I hope LVNDR will become the home for any sensitive conversations about LGBTQ health.”

Adrian Kelly Lead Commissioner at Sexual Health London: “London is excited to work in collaboration with LVNDR. It’s critical we continue to seek out new perspectives, and innovative solutions if we are to succeed in our mission of transforming Londoners’ sexual health.”

The post London-based LVNDR raises £1.5M as it seeks to address inequalities within sexual health system appeared first on UKTN (UK Tech News).

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