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Beyond Claims: How Kuky Helps Health Insurers Enhance Community Well-Being

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SYDNEY, March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In 2022-23, Australia spent more than $8 billion on state and territory specialised mental health services. Already staggering, the amount does not include Australian Capital Territory jurisdictional or non-Commonwealth numbers, which were not available when the government released the national data in February 2025. The country’s total mental health expenditure for 2022-23 stood at $13.2 billion, an increase from 2018-19’s $11.8 billion.

 

How private insurers can help

Given the mental health challenge, the private insurance industry in Australia has the opportunity to be part of the solution, in turn boosting their own offerings aimed at a more community-centric clientele. Kuky, a new platform intended to foster real connections among people navigating the same health & wellness journey, is one service that insurers can tap to reach out to a broader range of policyholders.

Through the Kuky app, insurance providers can help connect post-surgery patients, expectant mothers, or families of those undergoing chemotherapy with others currently at the same point in their lives. Think social media but on a deeper and more impactful level. The goal is to bring together compatible and like-minded users and assist them in benefitting from shared experiences and meaningful interactions.

What’s in it for the health insurance industry? 

With more and more private health insurers advocating for preventative and holistic healthcare to ease the burden in the public space, leveraging technology to actively improve health outcomes can offer a host of benefits while providing better value to insureds.

One perk of adding mental health platforms to an insurer’s portfolio of services is enhanced member engagement. By offering an app that helps people address their mental health issues, insurance companies can engage with policyholders beyond the hospital setting, reaching even those opting for in-home care and also making insurance more attractive and accessible to a younger demographic.

With a wider client base that includes young Australians, health insurers can ensure the sustainability of their funds, for the benefit of both their operations and the people they serve. Once on board, customers also have more reasons to stay insured, given the benefits they can access through their policies in addition to claims.

Forming meaningful connections

In the same way that Kuky connects app users who have similar experiences and interests, insurers will be wise to align themselves with other businesses and changemakers that can provide mutual benefits for their funds and members. Tapping those with additional expertise – in Kuky’s case, experienced developers – can mean a positive difference to both insureds and insurance firms.

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SOURCE Kuky

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Beauty and Personal Care Brand Pilgrim Secures ₹200 Crore Funding, Elevating its Pre-Money Valuation to ₹3,000 Crore

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MUMBAI, India, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Pilgrim, one of India’s fastest-growing beauty and personal care brands, has successfully raised ₹200 crore in a mix of primary and secondary funding rounds. The round saw participation from existing investors, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office (NSFO), Vertex Ventures SEA, Sattva Family Office, and Mirabilis Investment Trust, alongside new investors, Vertex Growth Fund and Anicut Equity Continuum Fund, reaffirming strong investor confidence in the company’s future.

Pilgrim’s valuation has surged to approximately ₹3,000 crore pre-money, reflecting an impressive increase from its previous valuation in 2024. The fundraising comprises a mix of primary and secondary investments, reaffirming investor confidence in Pilgrim’s category leadership and strong growth trajectory. This investment is a strong endorsement of Pilgrim’s long-term potential, driven by its innovative SKUs, global beauty and science-led formulations, and deeply engaged consumer community.

This capital will fuel Pilgrim’s strategic expansion into offline distribution and further strengthen its R&D capabilities. While already profitable in the online segment, this investment will further strengthen the efforts to build a sustainable omnichannel presence.

Commenting on the milestone, Gagandeep Makker, Co-founder of Pilgrim, said: “This investment represents a pivotal chapter in Pilgrim’s journey. Our unwavering commitment to delivering innovative, ingredient-driven beauty solutions has fostered deep consumer loyalty and established us as a category leader in the beauty space. With this new capital, we are poised to expand our offline presence and enhance our research and development capabilities. The unwavering trust of our investors is both a validation of our vision and a catalyst for what’s next.”

Pilgrim’s differentiated brand philosophy, anchored in discovering the best international beauty ingredients along with science-backed formulations, reflects its expertise in seamlessly blending high-quality, globally sourced naturals with cutting-edge innovation. As the brand continues to grow, this funding will propel Pilgrim to new heights, ensuring it continues to lead beauty innovation and market expansion in India and beyond.

About Pilgrim

Pilgrim, a pioneering digital-native beauty brand, is redefining India’s beauty landscape. Launched in 2020, Pilgrim swiftly captured the hearts of modern consumers with its innovative, world ingredients-focused approach. The brand’s philosophy centers on discovering global beauty secrets, and blending them with cutting-edge science to deliver effective, accessible products.

Pilgrim’s diverse portfolio, spanning skincare, haircare and colour cosmetics caters to a nationwide audience through its website, app, and major e-commerce platforms. By prioritizing transparency and quality, Pilgrim has cultivated a loyal customer base, serving over a million consumers monthly.

With a gross Annual Run Rate (ARR) exceeding ₹800 crore and a rapidly expanding retail presence, Pilgrim is poised for continued growth.

For more information: www.discoverpilgrim.com

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LONGi and BNZ Sign Strategic Framework Agreement for 336MW of Solar Projects in Southern Europe

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MADRID, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — LONGi Solar Technology, a global leader in solar module manufacturing has signed a Framework Agreement with BNZ, a leading independent power producer (IPP) specializing in the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects. This partnership solidifies a long-standing relationship and marks a significant milestone in BNZ’s commitment to expanding renewable energy capacity.

BNZ, part of the Nuveen Infrastructure portfolio managed through the Europe Clean Energy Fund III — one of Europe’s largest renewable energy investment funds — will achieve more than 500 MW under operation across Spain, Portugal, and Italy this year. Four of these projects, with a combined capacity of 130MW in Spain and Italy, already utilize LONGi modules.

Building on the successful collaboration to date, BNZ has now chosen to directly procure modules from LONGi for its 2025 pipeline of solar projects in Europe, totalling 336MW.

Under the agreement, BNZ will integrate LONGi’s advanced Hi-MO 7 and Hi-MO 9 modules series, the latter of which features the outstanding HPBC (Hybrid Passivated Back Contact) 2.0 technology, known for their high efficiency, bi-faciality, and superior performance maximising LCOE. These cutting-edge modules will enhance energy output, reinforcing BNZ’s commitment to delivering sustainable and reliable solar power.

“In BNZ, we firmly believe in the importance of collaborating with strategic partners who share our vision for a more sustainable future,” said Daniel Sánchez, Director at BNZ “This agreement with LONGi marks an important step in our commitment to delivering high-quality and efficient renewable energy solutions.

Luis Selva, Managing Director of BNZ, added: “We are committed to driving the energy transition and our collaboration reflects our strategic vision of innovation and growth in the renewable energy sector. We look forward to leveraging our combined expertise to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies.”

“This collaboration marks a new milestone in our strategic partnership with BNZ. As long-term partners, we are leveraging our strengths to drive innovation, accelerate market growth, and enhance our competitive edge in the European market. We believe this is not only a new opportunity for both businesses but also a benchmark for the industry. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with BNZ and creating greater business value together!” stated Francois CUI, President of LONGi Europe.

The signing of this Framework Agreement underscores BNZ’s dedication to advancing solar energy development while fostering strong industry partnerships. As the demand for clean energy continues to rise, this collaboration sets the stage for a more sustainable future in Europe and beyond.

SOURCE LONGi Solar

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A New Standard in Clinical Care for MASH Patients: HistoIndex Launches FibroSIGHT™

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SINGAPORE, March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — HistoIndex, a global leader in stain-free digital pathology solutions for managing fibrotic diseases, has announced the launch of their first Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) FibroSIGHT™ – now available in the United States. This marks a significant milestone for HistoIndex as the company enters clinical care for patients with Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH). “I am excited to see how our core expertise in clinical trial assessments is now transcending into the realm of precise and personalized patient care,” said Dr. Gideon Ho, Chief Executive Officer of HistoIndex.” With FibroSIGHT, we aim to empower clinicians with a more definitive and accurate assessment of liver fibrosis.”

MASH has long been a challenging and progressive liver disease, characterized by fat build-up and inflammation that, if left untreated, leads to fibrosis and, ultimately, cirrhosis. After decades of research and therapeutic development, the field reached a pivotal moment in 2024 with the approval of Rezdiffra® – the first drug for the treatment of MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis[1,2*]. As treatment options expand, accurate fibrosis assessment becomes even more critical in guiding clinical decisions and optimizing patient outcomes. HistoIndex has been playing a key role in the development of MASH treatments and is now leading the way in this next phase of patient care with FibroSIGHT.

FibroSIGHT seamlessly integrates into routine clinical workflows, leveraging on HistoIndex’s proprietary stain-free imaging technology to enhance the sensitivity of fibrillar collagens detection — key in evaluating fibrosis severity in liver biopsy samples (see Figure 1). By eliminating variability associated with traditional staining techniques, FibroSIGHT delivers reliable and precise fibrosis assessment for MASH patients.

Clinicians can now order FibroSIGHT for MASH patients, on whom liver biopsies were performed, whenever definitive and accurate assessments of fibrosis are needed[2,3]. This includes use at the time of diagnosis to determine treatment decisions, when non-invasive assessments of degree of fibrosis are either inconclusive or discordant. Additionally, FibroSIGHT can be ordered post treatment to evaluate patients’ response, especially in cases where there are no apparent improvement.

“By providing more accurate and objective evaluation of fibrosis, FibroSIGHT will enable more personalized treatment strategies and better evaluations of effectiveness of treatment leading to overall better care for patients,” commented Dr Naim Alkhouri, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Arizona Liver Health. “Where biopsy evaluation is needed for a MASH patient, I can see incorporating FibroSIGHT in the workup, and in doing so, benefiting the entire MASH clinical care community.”

FibroSIGHT testing is performed in HistoIndex’s CAP/CLIA accredited laboratory in Irvine, California. With the launch of FibroSIGHT, HistoIndex reaffirms its long-standing commitment in advancing fibrosis assessment and personalized treatment for MASH. By bridging research with clinical care, FibroSIGHT empowers informed treatment decisions, driving better patient care in the evolving landscape of liver disease management.

About MASH

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a progressive form of Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) characterized by steatosis and inflammation, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis, liver failure, and an increased risk of liver cancer. The presence of ballooned hepatocytes (enlarged and damaged liver cells) is a key feature distinguishing MASH from simple steatosis. Pathologist assessments of liver biopsy remain the gold standard for diagnosing and assessing the severity of MASH. Histological categorial scoring systems are often used as surrogate endpoints to evaluate drug efficacy in clinical trials. These endpoints are limited in capturing the complex and heterogeneous nature of the disease. As a result, there is a growing need for more accurate and reliable tools, such as AI-based digital pathology solutions, to improve the assessment of treatment response and disease severity in MASH.

About HistoIndex

Founded in 2010, HistoIndex pioneers in stain-free, fully automated imaging solutions for visualizing and quantifying fibrosis in biological tissues. By combining cutting-edge biophotonic technology with AI-based analysis, HistoIndex provides innovative tools to improve the assessment of fibrosis changes and drug efficacy. HistoIndex’s breakthrough digital pathology solutions are currently used in accelerating clinical research, expediting pharmaceutical drug development, and transforming medical standards.

References:

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024, Mar 14). https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-patients-liver-scarring-due-fatty-liver-disease

2. Noureddin et al. (2024). Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol, 22(12), 2367-2377. (*consistent with stages F2 to F3 fibrosis, also referred to in the literature as “MASH with significant fibrosis,” “MASH and moderate fibrosis,” or “at-risk MASH.”)

3. EASL; EASD; EASO (2024). J Hepatol. 81(3):492-542.

 

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SOURCE Histoindex Pte. Ltd.

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