Coala Raises US $2.5 million Led by Owl Ventures to Scale Quality Telehealth to Schools in Brazil

• The seed funding is led by Owl Ventures, the largest venture capital fund focused on the global education technology market, with participation from angel investors who have experience leading some of the largest educational companies in Brazil.
• In just 8 months of sales efforts, Coala has already registered 50,000 users across 80 schools in 6 Brazilian states while maintaining an NPS of 95%. Among its clients are renowned educational groups, such as Raiz Educação, Grupo Salta, Grupo Força Máxima.
• This seed funding will enable Coala to invest in go-to-market initiatives to accelerate its expansion across schools, as well as ramp up investments in product and engineering.

The Brazilian school-based telehealth company Coala Saude announced today a US$ 2.5 million seed funding round led by Owl Ventures, the largest venture capital fund focused on the global education technology market and active investor in Hazel Health, the leading telehealth company delivering physical and mental health to schools in the U.S.

Owl Ventures was joined by existing angel investors who have experience leading some of the largest educational companies in the country, namely Mário Ghio (former-CEO, SOMOS Educação), Bruno Elias (CEO, Salta Educação), Rafael Cunha (CLO, Descomplica), Anderson Morais (founder and CEO, Agenda Edu) and David Peixoto (founder and CEO, isaac and former CFO, Arco). João Sartini, legal advisor to the founders and the Company since inception, also participated as an angel investor.

Founded in 2022 by physicians and entrepreneurs Rafael Kader (CEO) and Mateus Mattos (COO), along with product leader Matheus Peressoni (CTO), the healthtech company aims to bring quality telehealth to every K12 student in Brazil.

The Brazilian educational system has little choice other than to contact the parents if a child experiences a health issue such as a fever or stomach ache while he or she is in class. “If the school is not yet a partner of Coala Saúde, the solution is usually to call the parents to pick up the student, which causes inconveniences for the family and results in the child missing school even for issues that may be immediately treatable with the presence of a doctor,” explained Rafael Kader, CEO and Co-Founder of Coala Saúde. According to the Co-Founders, a majority of Brazilian schools struggle to manage the health issues of their students.

“Coala is the first school-based telehealth in the country focused on child healthcare. Integral health is our priority when it comes to children and teenagers. Any complaints that students have are treated immediately. Using real-time, online consultations, parents can follow consultations without leaving their work. In addition, Coala is a solution to the lack of pediatricians and overcrowding in hospitals, issues which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic” Kader explained.

Coala provides medical care to students from 0 to 18 years old - from nursery to pre-university - in schools, preschools, and nurseries nationwide. Certified healthcare professionals treat students through a comprehensive process that starts with prevention and includes evaluation, consultation, referrals for specialized care, prescriptions, and coordination of the pre- and post-care process. In addition to the immediate medical care for children, Coala provides education, training, and specific health protocols for schools.

A student spends an average of 1,000 hours inside the school each year, according to the CEO. “There is a possibility that a fever, infectious disease, or even an imminent appendicitis crisis may occur during this period. We will be able to meet these demands through the combination of humanized service and technology,” he said.

The CEO emphasized that students’ health and well-being are fundamental aspects of education. Healthy students perform better in school, are more motivated, and miss fewer days of school. Health promotion also supports the development of social and emotional skills, such as resilience, empathy, and stress management.

“Around the world, we have seen the inextricable link between healthcare and educational outcomes for students. Schools have become a critical channel to provide access to physical and mental healthcare of students, especially given the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic and other global events have left on the socioemotional well-being of kids and our healthcare system,” said Judy Park, Principal at Owl Ventures. “We’re excited to partner with such passionate, mission-aligned founders and apply our learnings from around the world to help scale Coala.”

Mário Ghio, former CEO of SOMOS Educação, as well as angel investor and advisor to Coala, believes that the company has established a strong product-market fit. “The importance of considering children’s healthcare support when choosing a school cannot be overstated, and Coala’s product offering fulfills this goal,” he stated.

With this funding, Coala plans to invest in go-to-market initiatives to accelerate its expansion across schools, as well as ramp up investments in product and engineering. Kader noted, “We’re excited to partner with the world’s leading venture capital fund in education technology and highly experienced angel investors to scale Coala to all of Brazil and beyond.”

About Coala Saúde

Founded in May 2022 by physicians and entrepreneurs Rafael Kader (CEO) and Mateus Mattos (COO), along with product leader Matheus Peressoni (CTO), Coala Saúde is Brazil’s first school-based telehealth platform focused on remodeling healthcare within schools in Brazil. Coala’s mission is to take care of the health of the country’s next generation. The startup provides medical care as part of the school’s commitment to the safety and well-being of students ages 0-18. In just 8 months of operations, Coala already has already registered 50,000 users across 80 schools in 6 Brazilian states.