Pfizer’s Viagra had one of the fastest prescription uptakes of any medication when it was first released in 1998. Kranus Health, based in Munich and Berlin, is seeking to replicate this stratospheric rise with its own erectile dysfunction remedy, a digital therapy app. And the early signs are promising.
After five months of operation, Kranus had more prescriptions than any other startup on Germany’s DiGA plan, which allows doctors to distribute the app to users for free and the healthcare system to pay for it.
This traction has now helped it raise a $6.5M Series A financing led by Karista, a French healthtech venture capital firm.
The current round was led by French health care investor Karista, with participation from Austria’s Family Office Peak Pride. All current shareholders, notably HTGF and A Round Capital, increased their stakes significantly.
What distincts them from others?
Kranus differs from companies like Numan and Wellster in that their erectile dysfunction treatment isn’t based on medications like Viagra.
The therapy is a 12-week app-based treatment regimen that combines pelvic floor and cardiovascular workouts with sexual therapy and mindfulness exercises.
The algorithm continuously changes the plan based on feedback from the patient, taking into consideration factors such as weight, age, and physical capacity.
“We will invest the money into expanding our sales activities in Germany to reach millions of affected patients, into further clinical research for our digital therapies, and into development of additional therapies for men’s health,” says Jens Nörtershäuser, founder and co-CEO of Kranus Health.
To speed the revolution in men’s health, the current headcount of 50 individuals is expected to be increased to more than 100 by the end of the year.
How does it function?
Founded in 2020 by Dr. Kurt Miller, Jens Nörtershäuser, Nikolay Dimolarov and Thilo Kleinschmidt, Kranus Health is a global provider of digital therapeutics for men’s health. Through access to cutting-edge medical treatment, the company enables men to live healthier and longer lives. It creates digital solutions for disorders ranging from sexual health (erectile dysfunction) to early identification and prevention based on the most recent scientific findings.
The treatment is based on digital coaching, which allows for a comprehensive approach and shows that a reimbursed app on prescription enhances potency. The daily treatment regimen has a favourable impact on patients’ lifestyles in just twelve weeks, improving their erections and quality of life. The digital treatment plan includes pelvic floor exercises paired with aerobic activities, as well as tailored sexual therapy and mindfulness exercises.
According to some estimates, one out of every three men has erectile dysfunction, yet only half of them will seek treatment. It’s what makes digital therapy, which can be done quietly from anywhere a user feels at ease, so well suited to treating the problem, says Jens Nörtershäuser, the company’s founder and CEO.
Despite this, there are few remote and app-based treatments available in Europe for men’s sexual health issues. Wellster, a Kranus compatriot, raised $20M in January, and Numan, based in the United Kingdom, raised $40M in debt and equity in February.
