Artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of South Africa’s healthcare sector as technology companies invest in specialist solutions designed to improve patient care and practice efficiency. Healthbridge’s acquisition of a strategic stake in Durban-based healthtech company Alchemed marks another step in that direction, strengthening a partnership that aims to accelerate the development of AI-powered software for specialist surgeons while expanding access to advanced practice management technology across the country.
The investment builds on a successful four-year relationship between the two companies, converting what was previously a distribution agreement into an equity partnership. By combining Healthbridge’s national healthcare technology footprint with Alchemed’s specialist software expertise, the partnership is expected to deliver solutions for a market with complex clinical, operational and billing requirements.
Healthbridge CEO Luis da Silva said the investment reflects the company’s long-term strategy of supporting South African health technology businesses while expanding solutions for specialist clinicians.
“We invested in Alchemed because it combines deep clinical insight with a modern AI-first approach to innovation,” he said. “Having established a strong foothold among orthopaedic surgeons alongside Alchemed, we are now well positioned for expansion into other surgical specialties.”
Expanding specialist healthcare technology
Founded in 2018 by orthopaedic surgeon Dr William Haynes and software entrepreneur Darryl Smith, Alchemed was created after Dr Haynes identified the need to automate routine administrative work in his own medical practice. What started as a solution for one practice has since grown into a cloud-based platform used across 23 medical specialties.
The software supports the full patient journey, including appointment scheduling, clinical notes, prescriptions, billing and practice analytics. It also uses AI-enabled features to simplify administrative and clinical workflows, allowing healthcare professionals to spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients.
Since February 2022, Alchemed has been Healthbridge’s preferred orthopaedic specialty partner. The closer relationship will now allow both companies to work more closely on product development while expanding specialist-focused healthcare technology across South Africa.
Da Silva said the combined expertise of the two companies would speed up the development of solutions tailored to specialist surgeons.
“By combining Alchemed’s specialist expertise with Healthbridge’s scale, our joined clinical, technology and AI capabilities will accelerate the development of practice management solutions designed specifically for the needs of specialist surgeons,” he said.
He added that the company’s growth strategy is centred on partnerships rather than developing every solution internally.
“We don’t believe innovation has to happen inside a single company,” da Silva said. “Our strategy is to identify exceptional healthcare technology entrepreneurs, help them scale through our ecosystem, and deepen our commitment to the businesses that create real value for healthcare professionals. Alchemed has demonstrated that value over four years of partnership.”
Supporting growth through partnership
South Africa’s specialist surgeon market presents unique workflow, clinical documentation and billing challenges that are often not fully addressed by general practice management systems. Both companies believe the strengthened partnership will help meet these demands through software designed specifically for specialist medical practices.
Alchemed CEO Dr William Haynes said the company was founded to solve a challenge experienced first-hand by healthcare professionals.
“Alchemed was born inside a working surgical practice from a simple frustration: too much time spent on administration and not enough time spent with patients,” he said.
Haynes said the company has maintained a 70% annual recurring revenue growth rate over the past two years and believes Healthbridge’s investment will help bring its technology to more specialists across the country.
“Healthbridge brings the scale, reach and healthcare expertise needed to take that solution to many more specialist clinicians across South Africa,” he said. “Together we can accelerate innovation and deliver meaningful improvements to the way specialists run their practices.”
For existing Alchemed customers, operations will remain unchanged. The Alchemed team, products and support channels will continue as normal, while the investment provides additional resources to accelerate product development and deliver further innovation for South Africa’s specialist healthcare sector.
