Hemodialysis, Airbnb and Uber

People with kidney failure can now travel normally, covered by a coalition of companies united by the concepts of a sharing economy.

Monday, February 15, 2016

EDITORIAL

The best demonstration of the advantages that exist today because of the unstoppable "sharing economy" is the association of global companies Uber and Airbnb with 0a Uruguayan startup, Connectus Medical, to help solve the problem of the travel needs of people who need regular hemodialysis treatment.

And this positive example of the sharing economy has a special feature of not having arisen from development poles in a knowledge economy, but from a distant country where someone who had a personal problem found a solution not only for themselves but for millions who find themselves in the same situation.

From articles published on Elobservador.com.uy:

"... In 2007 Javier Artigas was told he needed to receive dialysis three times a week. His work in a multinational company meant he was often in a plane or at an airport and because the company decided not to cover the costs of dialysis abroad he had no choice but to give up work. His daughter, Valentina Arriagada, came up with the solution to the problem face by her father and so many other patients, a platform which, for a fixed monthly cost, would allow access to hemodialysis centers worldwide. This is how Medical Connectus was born. "

"... And so began, little by little, the family company. Everything changed when Joe Gebbia appeared. The CEO of the firm Airbnb knocked on his door, literally. Artigas and Gebbia met in Uruguay and began to think about an agreement between the two companies to benefit 50 million hemodialysis patients worldwide. The deal was closed less than a month ago. "

"... Now, with the help of Airbnb, Medical Connectus is walking down the path of professionalism. 'Two weeks ago we started our operations in the United States. In addition we are about to receive our first investment with an investment fund from Atlanta ', Artigas said. The value of the company soared and so did the confidence of investors. The first round of investment started by providing US $500,000 yesterday was US $1 million. Javier Artigas decided that these funds will be allocated to its operations in the United States and also to the markets of Brazil, Italy, Japan and Germany, the five countries which perfrom 67% of dialysis in the world. "

Uber as well : "... When Uber had not yet landed on Uruguayan soil Connectus Medical had entered into an agreement for 1,000 patients per day to use the service in all countries in which they operate.'We have three plans: Mercosur, Latin America and Rest of the world, in the last two Uber services are included in the fee," concluded the CEO of Connectus Medical".

Instead of trying to fight the tidal force of phenomena such as Airbnb and Uber, we should find ways to learn from entrepreneurs like those who created Connectus Medical, to contribute to the development of the Central American economies by making better use of available resources - which is what the sharing is, and yes, make money.

See: Connectus Medical Uses Uber to Travel to Airbnb Accommodation
See: The Uruguayan Startup That is Touching the Sky in San Francisco

¿Busca soluciones de inteligencia comercial para su empresa?



More on this topic

Collaborative Economy: Opportunities and Competition

November 2020

Although dealing with a demanding and challenging market with several competitors, companies dedicated to the transportation of people and delivery still visualize multiple opportunities in Costa Rica.

The need to access more efficient mobility, changes in consumption patterns and the upward trend in the introduction of smartphones and the Internet, have created a business scenario in which the demand for mobile platform services dedicated to the transportation of people and home delivery, increases over the years.

Boom in Sharing Economy

June 2018

The implementation of two applications used for home delivery services in Guatemala reinforces the irreversible trend towards better use of available resources through innovation and technology.

One of the applications now available is Uber Eats, which lets people place orders from different restaurants with varied prices. Another of the companies that has started up is Glovo, dedicated to the purchase, reception and shipping of several product categories.

Uber is Well Received in El Salvador

May 2017

While Costa Rica still has not defined a legal scheme to regulate the mode of transport offered by Uber, in El Salvador the company has started operations with the government´s approval.

The technology company that offers a private transportation network started operating in San Salvador on May 9, with the backing of the Sánchez Cerén administration. 

Wind Blows in Favour of Collaborative Economy

March 2016

Accepting that Uber, Airbnb and crowfunding are here to stay, the National Markets and Competition Commission of Spain is in favor of reducing requirements for traditional operators and not adding any new regulations for incoming competitors.

EDITORIAL

The incursion of digital platforms that connect users through collaborative schemes has invaded economies and made life easier for users, but has caused complications for governments whose laws are one step behind the progress being made in markets.

ok