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Recently I wanted to make an appointment with the doctor by phone. Was constantly occupied. I tried it every hour. Then at 4 p.m. the answering machine. I didn’t get an appointment that day. A huge rage for that. Are telephones in doctor’s offices just decoration?
But it’s not just the patients who are annoyed, the practice staff is also groaning under the load of calls. The constant ringing must be a nightmare.
But there is a ray of hope. The startup VITAS has a solution that is already being used in many healthcare facilities: A virtual telephone assistant helps doctors’ practices and other facilities to improve their telephone accessibility and at the same time increase the quality of service. With a rapidly growing team and recently raised 3.1 million euros, VITAS wants to further advance its innovative solution and expand its market position.
Ariane Lindemann in a short interview with co-founder Tobias Bäumler.
Describe your business in one sentence.
We bring AI into the call chaos: Our virtual telephone assistant answers calls, processes the concerns and takes on standard tasks such as making appointments or answering questions. We are solving the problem of doctors’ practices, authorities and all institutions that are overwhelmed with avalanches of calls because they lack time and staff.
I still remember our first conversation in September 2022. I wouldn’t be surprised if doctors’ offices start running into your place now…
We are actually in a comfortable situation. There is a desperate need for skilled workers everywhere, and at the same time the willingness to use digital solutions is increasing. We are currently benefiting from these developments, especially thanks to our focus on data protection and without the need to use foreign third-party providers in the infrastructure.
And your telephone assistant isn’t just interesting for doctor’s offices…?
Exactly. Although our focus is currently clearly on the healthcare sector, the challenges are the same in other sectors: low technical capacities, a shortage of skilled workers and many calls. Our solution is therefore also used in offices, municipalities and public institutions, but also in event agencies, cooking schools, car dealerships and property managers.
How can you handle the increasing number of requests?
Many things are standardized and automated for us, such as payment, contract conclusion and invoicing. Customers can also set up our solution themselves. If you need help, you can of course book a non-binding appointment with us at any time – we are currently expanding our team for this purpose.
How does it feel to be a leader?
The role is constantly changing, which I really appreciate. This is exactly the variety of tasks I need. I learned how important it is to set up regular jour fixes and have weekly meetings with team members to clarify questions or make decisions. The stress in the last few months has been correspondingly high, but that doesn’t just apply to me. It is important to have key positions with people who are very responsible for advancing their own areas.
Are you happy that you can hand in some tasks?
Yes very. But as a founder you first have to do all the tasks yourself before you can hand them over with a clear conscience. We need to understand and adapt the processes before automating or delegating them. Taking a step back from the operational business is an exciting phase: it’s fascinating to see how the team develops and everyone finds their place. It’s important to us that they enjoy what they do. We also encourage our employees to move between departments and try things out. This opens up completely new ideas and impulses.
Is there a new vision for VITAS?
Overall, our platform should be able to take on more and more tasks. To do this, we continually improve the AI that is in the solution. In the future, invoice inquiries or technical support should also be able to be processed via VITAS. We are also planning more and more integrations into other systems in order to be able to provide 1st level support. This means even fewer calls have to be forwarded to human employees.
You have just raised 3.1 million euros. What are you doing with the money?
Over the last two years we have invested heavily in the platform’s technology. With the money raised, we are now shifting our focus to marketing and sales to further scale the company. This year our team has already grown by eight people!
We look forward to the end of endless waiting loops with you, with all doctors’ practices, offices and other service facilities and with all desperate callers!
This article was created in cooperation with the CyberLab Karlsruhe. The CyberLab is the central contact point for startups and those interested in starting a business in the IT sector.
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You can read more about the VITAS story here.