Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest winner Peppy Health has secured £6.6million in its latest funding round and will go towards scaling its existing technology and introduce new services.

Founded in 2018, Peppy’s vision is to plug some of the biggest gaps in healthcare through its app: menopause, fertility and early parenthood. Its expert-led support connects users to a range of qualified practitioners. Services include instant messaging, group chats, video consultations, articles, videos, programmes and live events with people encouraged to join a growing band of community users who are at a similar stage in their life.

It was the winner at the Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest 2021, which gave the company the opportunity to test out its product within the NHS by scaling it at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust through the CW Innovation Programme.

This latest investment of £6.6million was led by Felix Capital and will enable Peppy to scale its current service.

Susan Lin, investor at Felix Capital, said: “Peppy is at the forefront of three huge market trends and we believe is positioned to become a category-defining brand.

“First, massive growth in targeted employee benefits, driven by increasing awareness of the importance these have in boosting morale, productivity, and retention. Second, demand for much more convenient ways to access healthcare, which has been further accelerated by Covid-19. And finally, a need for much more personalised solutions, especially in critical life stages such as menopause and early parenthood.”

New services planned

The company also has plans to introduce a new range of support services, most notably for men’s health. It plans to deliver the world’s first men’s health service available to employers, focusing on urological, hormonal, mental and lifestyle health.

Max Landry, co-founder of Peppy, said: “More and more employers are learning that providing remote, inclusive support for the individual is key. This new investment lets us build on and scale our current services and accelerate the launch of new verticals, like men’s health, and ultimately get more support to more people.”

Peppy’s base already includes firms such as magic circle law firm Clifford Chance, Santander and DFS as well as NHS trusts. The pace at which it continues to grow looks set to be strong and it’s already seen demand for future verticals both from existing customers and prospective clients.

Mridula Pore, co-founder of Peppy, added: “The pandemic has shown us that employers can’t just talk about supporting their employees’ health and wellbeing anymore, they have to take action. More and more leading businesses are turning to us to provide the support their people really need – not a one-size-fits all solution, but support that is trustworthy, personalised and delivered by experts. We’re still at the surface of what is possible for Peppy.”