Scribenote, a Canadian AI-powered medical scribe for veterinarians, has landed $8.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz aka a16z that recently invested in Setpoint and Hebbia, with additional participation from Inovia Capital, the Velocity Fund, and a line-up of angel investors.
With this new funding, the company plans to develop its AI technology and expand its platform. The company aims to create personalised AI scribes for each veterinarian and build an efficient, intelligent platform for editing and finalising records.
“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,” said Olivia Moore, partner at Andreessen Horowitz. “The Scribenote team has deep empathy for the daily challenges veterinarians face and a hands-on understanding of their workflow.”
What challenge does it tackle?
Veterinarians have a legal responsibility to document every aspect of their interactions with clients, necessitating accurate and complete medical records. Unfortunately, with various types of appointments every 20 to 30 minutes of the day, documentation can be challenging and pile up quickly. Some veterinarians may see up to 30 patients in one day and there is rarely time to document between visits. This results in veterinarians working overtime during lunch and at the end of the day to type records.
Scribenote, an AI-powered medical scribe for veterinarians, resolves this challenge and frees them from spending hours writing medical records.
How was the idea born?
Scribenote was started in 2019 when CEO Ryan Gallagher noticed his sister Katie, a small animal veterinarian, consistently working late to catch up on medical records. After shadowing her at the clinic, he realised that detailed discussions that occurred during veterinary appointments could potentially be captured in real-time to eliminate additional workload.
When he noticed other veterinarians at the clinic shared the same problem, Gallagher, a University of Waterloo engineering student at the time, saw an opportunity for automation and promised his sister he would build a solution that would allow her to get home from the clinic on time. He joined hands with co-founders, including his sister Dr. Katie Gallagher, Alina Pavel, and Emily Merry.
AI medical scribe for veterinarians
Scribenote records conversations between veterinarians and clients. It uses AI to automatically generate accurate medical records in just minutes. In addition to medical records and dental charts, it automates various forms of client communication, allowing veterinary professionals to fully focus on patient care and building relationships with clients. By providing complete and detailed records of what was discussed, documentation struggles are reduced for an already overburdened profession.
The platform’s user-friendly design allows veterinarians to start a note on their phone and add to it later from any device logged into their account. Even with poor internet connectivity, users can create offline recordings and sync them later.
Scribenote runs in the background to capture audio while veterinarians focus on their patients. At the end of the day, its desktop widget, dubbed “Draggy-Droppy,” allows users to copy their completed records into any Practice Information Management System (PIMS) within seconds.
How is it helpful for veterinarians?
The company serves hundreds of clinics across North America. In less than a year, its AI Scribe product has already automated over 1.5 million medical records, saving veterinarians up to two hours per day.
The AI scribe is designed for general practitioners and specialist veterinarians alike, with users ranging from recent graduates to those with 35 years of experience in the field. The impact on veterinarians’ lives has been significant. Customers report finally being able to take lunch breaks, spending more time with family, and focusing more on their patients.
Some users have even shared that Scribenote has been invaluable when they were injured or losing mobility in their hands, allowing them to continue their work without physically writing notes.
“Scribenote is not just about saving time; it’s about improving the quality of veterinary care and the lives of those who provide it,” said Ryan Gallagher, Co-founder and CEO of Scribenote. “By automating the documentation process, we’re enabling veterinarians to focus more on their patients and less on paperwork. “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.”
