Saurabh Arora, the Facebook alum who left Silicon Valley to fix India’s doctor shortage, co-founded Lybrate in 2014 as a mobile platform linking patients to 100,000+ doctors for consultations and advice. Acquired by Pristyn Care in 2022 for Rs 30 crore in CCDs, Lybrate continues as a telemedicine powerhouse with 10 million downloads and Rs 27.16 crore revenue in FY21, highlighting the digital health boom where platforms like this address India’s 1:1,457 doctor-patient ratio amid a telemedicine market growing 30% annually to Rs 5,682 crore by 2025.
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From Ads to Advocacy: Saurabh Arora’s Tech-to-Healthcare Shift
Saurabh Arora, a Delhi native, earned a B.Tech before pursuing an MBA at Columbia Business School (2010-2012) and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. His career kicked off at Facebook in the US, where he connected SMEs and advertisers to customers via targeted ads, honing skills in user engagement and scalable tech. “It was thrilling, but I saw parallels in healthcare—connecting people who need help with those who can provide it,” Arora shared in a 2015 Entrepreneur interview.
Returning to India, Arora spotted the crisis: millions underserved by specialists, especially in Tier-II/III cities. Teaming with Rahul Narang, a Snapdeal engineer, he bootstrapped Lybrate in 2014. “We built it like Facebook Ads but for lives—quick, trusted matches between patients and doctors,” Arora told Tech2 in 2016. Launched in January 2015, the app topped Google Play Store charts within months, blending consultations, Q&A, and lab tests.
Lybrate’s Core: Seamless Doctor-Patient Connections
Lybrate operates as India’s first mobile healthcare communicator, offering video/audio consultations, second opinions, and home sample collection via Lybrate Lab+. With 100,000+ doctors across specialties, it covers everything from general checkups to dermatology, enabling 24/7 access without queues. Features like privacy-compliant chats and verified profiles build trust, while the Health Feed delivers tips and ads for wellness products.
Revenue streams include consultation commissions (5-10%), hospital partnerships, and targeted ads, diversifying beyond fees. “We’re closing the awareness-engagement-action loop for patients,” Arora explained in a 2016 Inc42 feature. By 2017, it hit 4 million downloads and $8 million run rate, prioritizing profitability over hype.
Funding Fuel and Acquisition Milestone
Lybrate raised $14.4 million over three rounds from marquee backers: $1.23 million seed in August 2014 from Nexus Venture Partners; $10.2 million Series A in July 2015 led by Tiger Global, Nexus, and Ratan Tata; and a smaller bridge in 2016. These enabled scaling to 10 million users by 2020, without further raises post-2016 for sustainable growth.
In June 2022, Pristyn Care acquired Lybrate, allotting Rs 30 crore in partly paid compulsorily convertible debentures (CCDs) to Arora (20,320 shares) and Narang (10,160 shares), per RoC filings. The deal integrated Lybrate’s tech into Pristyn’s surgical network, boosting telemedicine for pre/post-op care. Arora transitioned to an advisory role, focusing on product innovation.
Lybrate Funding Timeline
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Source: Tracxn and Crunchbase data cited in Inc42 and Entrepreneur.
Growth Metrics: From Startup to Scale
Lybrate’s traction was swift: 4 million downloads by 2016, expanding to 10 million by 2020 with 100,000 doctors onboarded. FY20 revenue hit Rs 39.94 crore, dipping to Rs 27.16 crore in FY21 due to pandemic shifts but turning profitable both years, per RoC filings. Post-acquisition, integration with Pristyn amplified reach, adding virtual consults for 1 million+ surgeries annually.
User base skewed urban (70%) but grew in Tier-II cities via Hindi support. “We’ve made specialists accessible without travel,” Arora noted in a 2016 YourStory piece, crediting tech for 50% YoY user growth pre-2020.
Challenges and Enduring Legacy
Early hurdles included doctor onboarding resistance and regulatory teething for telemedicine, resolved via verified credentials and HIPAA-like privacy. The 2020 pandemic accelerated adoption, but competition from Practo and 1mg tested differentiation. Arora’s focus on “human-centered tech” ensured retention, with 60% repeat users.
Post-acquisition, Lybrate’s platform powers Pristyn’s ecosystem, serving 150 employees’ worth of operations.
Why Lybrate Resonates: Bridging Healthcare Gaps
Lybrate matters by democratizing access in a doctor-scarce India, connecting 10 million users to care and creating jobs in telehealth. Arora’s story—from ad whiz to health hero—inspires tech-for-good ventures, especially amid telemedicine’s 31% CAGR to 2025.
With Pristyn’s backing, Lybrate eyes AI diagnostics and rural expansion. As Arora reflected in 2015, “Healthcare should be a tap away.” In a digital age, Lybrate turns screens into lifelines.
Last Updated on: Thursday, October 23, 2025 12:25 am by BUSINESS SAGA TEAM | Published by: BUSINESS SAGA TEAM on Thursday, October 23, 2025 12:25 am | News Categories: Startup News
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