Locumbase celebrates Grindstone Ventures funding deal

Locumbase, an independent online medical booking platform, secured an undisclosed funding round from Grindstone Ventures as they ready for exponential growth. Founded in 2016 by Zulé Vuuren, the start-up connects freelance medical professionals and practices in South Africa to build their career or grow their practices on their terms.

The Locumbase platform revolutionises the medical service as a whole and aligns it to an ever-changing environment where digital technologies are transforming home and office life. Their promising health tech model that is enhancing the local industry, will further improve their service offering with the funding secured, as they prepare for international expansion and growth.

This health-tech SaaS (Software as a Service) company is one of success, ambition, and high growth that envisions a future where people-centred healthcare is easily and efficiently accessible to all.

Vuuren is proud of the company’s growth and success to date and is eager to see what the future holds with this new funding, she comments, “as a practice owner or primary practitioner you need to rest and revive in order to provide the very best care to your patients. You need a simple, seamless way to manage your temporary team and find the best new locums to grow your business.”

LocumBase completed the Grindstone Accelerator programme in 2020/2021 and celebrated its graduation as Cohort Winner for exhibiting substantial growth and achievements during the programme. What does this injection of capital mean for LocumBase and the South African healthcare system as a whole? It diversifies the workspace and creates more flexibility for medical professionals and medical practices to work on their terms.

LocumBase allows for more focused job creation and to accurately find the right fit for the job seeker and the practise, which in turn creates a cohesive team in the workforce. LocumBase promotes job satisfaction and allows for well-rested medical professionals and the opportunity to grow the business of one-on-one medical practices, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics.

This is the foundation of creating an attentive approach to patient care. Finally, a population whose medical needs are sufficiently met means a stronger workforce all-around, a stronger economy and healthcare ecosystem. Aspiring to raise the standards of primary healthcare in South Africa, the domino effect of this brilliant concept will reverberate far into the future of South Africa. Not only in the medical sector but, as a leading example of ideation and execution.

More SMEs and entrepreneurs will have the gusto and confidence it takes to bring their own ideas to fruition. Vuuren adds, “LocumBase’s tech stack has unlimited application. We are geared up to scale across South Africa and look ahead to expand across boarders before the end of 2023. We see more and more interest from untapped industries where our core software can have a positive impact on workforce efficiency and employment opportunities, from day one implementation.”

Catherine Young, Managing Partner of Grindstone Ventures, says, “Providing equal investment opportunities for women-founded businesses is foundational to our Grindstone Ventures ethos.

LocumBase, as a Grindstone Accelerator alumni company, has grown exponentially since graduating as the overall winner of their cohort in 2021, and we are excited about the opportunity to make an investment into a business that is disrupting the traditional way of allocating locums to medical practices.”

As a woman-founded company, they have contributed towards achieving gender diversity and equality in the South African business landscape. Grindstone Ventures is proud to be a part of the LocumBase journey and eagerly awaits to witness its inevitable success.

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