Backed by another year of solid growth, Hyphen Health, Australia's largest online sexual health clinic group, has merged with digital medical health service Hey Fella, a specialist in sexual health for gay men.
The merger has boosted Hyphen Health’s customer base to more than 70,000 and expanded the group’s service offering in this niche market.
It also has brought on board the expertise of Hey Fella founders Dr Cris Quitral, a telemedicine entrepreneur, and Luke Fuller, the Dapple CEO who has extensive experience in software development.
Hey Fella, which was founded in Brisbane, labels itself as “your online gay doctor” and provides online telehealth services to gay/bi/trans men.
The platform is said to have been “designed by gay doctors for gay men with a view to breaking down barriers and rewriting the rules of men’s sexual health”.
"Bringing two powerhouse online sexual health clinics together under one roof like Hyphen Health and Hey Fella ensures more people have access to respectful, non-discriminatory, sexual health services,” says Hyphen Health co-founder and CEO James Sneddon.
“I’m beyond excited to join forces with Cris and Luke to continue making sexual health sexy and something we can all be proud of."
Under the merger deal, Quitral and Fuller join Hyphen Health as co-founders of the business which was established by Sneddon and Dr Mitchell Tanner in 2015. Sneddon bought out Tanner late last year.
Quitral has assumed the role of chief medical officer, filling the position left by Tanner’s departure, while Fuller has become chief technology officer.
Sneddon says the merger has been in the works for some time.
“Once I learned about these guys, we figured we are stronger together,” Sneddon tells Business News Australia.
“They have achieved so much in the past two years as a company. They have a great tech stack with a better user experience through their products, while we have the systems and industry knowledge to complement what they have done.”
Hyphen Health, which is based at Maitland in NSW, operates three platforms that deliver discreet services ranging from PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medicine for HIV prevention, to sexually transmitted infections (STI) and testing for performance-enhancing drugs.
Sneddon says Hey Fella provides a suite of sexual health services that are “really complementary” to the Hyphen Health business.
“This merger will expedite growth and fulfill needs that our three services are not fulfilling now,” he says.
The combined business is estimated to support nearly one in two patients Australia wide on HIV PrEP, while diagnosing more than one in 20 STIs nationally.
Hyphen Health says the merger solidifies its position as Australia's “go-to, all-online sexual health hub”.
"This isn’t just a merger - it’s a movement,” says Quitral.
“Hey Fella has always been passionate about breaking down barriers and making sexual health something to celebrate, not shy away from.
“We love that we’re now doing that with Hyphen Health. It’s bold, it’s inclusive, and it’s exactly what Australia needs."
The merger follows another record month in January for Hyphen Health which Sneddon reveals is currently growing about 60 per cent year on year.
Hyphen Health is pursuing further growth, with Sneddon exploring opportunities in female sexual health, including female fertility services.
“We are looking at those hard-to-access sectors,” says Sneddon.
Help us deliver quality journalism to you.
As a free and independent news site providing daily updates
during a period of unprecedented challenges for businesses everywhere
we call on your support