Business APAC
May 20, 2025
In a decisive push to expand rural healthcare infrastructure, CureBay, a Bhubaneswar-based health-tech company, has raised $21 million in a Series B round led by Bertelsmann India Investment. The funding will be used to deepen the company’s presence in underserved areas, strengthen its hybrid care delivery model, and improve operational capacity through technology and logistics upgrades.
Founded in 2021, CureBay was built with a singular mission: to bridge the healthcare divide between India’s urban and rural populations. Through its unique hybrid model, the company combines digitally-enabled teleconsultations with a network of brick-and-mortar care centers that act as local access points for medicines, diagnostics, and clinical services.
The company currently operates in 75 rural locations across Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh. With this fresh round of capital, CureBay plans to expand its footprint to 200+ towns across five Indian states over the next 18 months. The funding will also support recruitment, technology upgrades, and the rollout of a predictive patient care system that leverages regional health data for better decision-making.
“This isn’t just about growth — it’s about impact,” said Curie Nayak, Founder and CEO of CureBay. “In many of these regions, we’re the only consistent point of care. Our goal is to make basic and even specialist healthcare as accessible in a village as it is in a city.”
The round was led by Bertelsmann India Investment, which has previously backed disruptive ventures across education, media, and technology in South Asia. This marks its first major foray into rural healthcare.
“We were impressed by the depth of CureBay’s model and its alignment with real-world healthcare challenges,” said Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director at Bertelsmann India Investment. “This isn’t a copy-paste urban model. It’s tailored to the realities of rural India — low internet access, unreliable transport, and a shortage of trained doctors.”
Existing investors Elevar Equity and Accel India also participated in the round, reaffirming their support after backing the startup in its earlier funding stages.
Innovating Rural Health: CureBay’s Comprehensive Approach
The demand for scalable rural health solutions is growing rapidly. According to a 2024 report by NITI Aayog, over 65% of India’s rural population lacks access to timely and affordable healthcare. While the private sector has largely focused on urban and peri-urban expansion, CureBay’s model stands out by targeting regions traditionally ignored by mainstream providers.
CureBay’s service offering extends beyond basic teleconsultations. Each center includes a trained health worker who facilitates digital consultations with urban specialists, manages diagnostics and prescriptions, and provides patient education on chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and maternal health.
“Our care centers function as healthcare bridges,” explained Nayak. “We don’t just connect doctors to patients — we build trust within communities through consistency and follow-up.”
The company also plans to enhance its digital stack, including integration with government platforms like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and the rollout of a real-time referral system that ensures patients with advanced needs are directed to the nearest tertiary care facilities.
To Conclude
With Bertelsmann India Investment leading this critical funding round, CureBay is now poised to move beyond being a regional success story to a national rural healthcare leader. By combining smart technology with ground-level presence, the company is redefining how care is delivered in areas long neglected by both public and private systems.
The next phase will be crucial. CureBay will not only need to scale but also adapt to the diverse medical and cultural needs of the communities it enters. Yet, if successful, its model could offer a blueprint for sustainable rural healthcare delivery — not just for India, but for other developing nations facing similar challenges.
As CureBay charts its path forward, one thing remains clear: the future of inclusive healthcare in India may very well begin in its most remote villages.
Also Read: A Decisive Shift: Thailand and Indonesia Recalibrate Their Ties
