South African AI HealthTech startup finds new home with Healthbridge
The two founders, who studied finance, identified an opportunity to use generative AI to address one of the persistent challenges facing healthcare professionals: the amount of time spent on administrative and documentation tasks.
Nora uses artificial intelligence to process conversations between healthcare professionals and their patients and convert them into structured clinical documentation. The technology is designed to reduce the administrative workload associated with consultations while helping clinicians maintain consistent patient records.
Gordon and van Biljon began developing the technology after experimenting with the capabilities of GPT-4 in 2023. Rather than remaining in finance, the pair shifted their focus towards healthcare technology and developed Nora around a practical challenge experienced by medical professionals.
The acquisition follows an 18-month relationship between Nora and Healthbridge, during which Healthbridge maintained a minority investment in the business and worked with the team on developing the technology.
The partnership has also provided an opportunity to integrate Nora more deeply into Healthbridge’s existing healthcare technology ecosystem. Healthbridge says the acquisition will allow it to accelerate the product’s development and expand its application across its Clinical suite.
Nora has reportedly experienced strong early adoption. During the eight months following its rollout, the platform increased its user base by approximately 23% per month, while retaining 85% of its paying customers. The number of clinical consultations processed through the platform also recorded compound monthly growth of 32%.
For Healthbridge, the transaction represents more than the addition of an AI documentation tool. The company sees artificial intelligence as an increasingly important component of its healthcare technology strategy, with Nora forming part of a broader effort to incorporate intelligent tools into clinical workflows.
The development reflects the growing role of AI in South Africa's healthcare sector, where technology companies are increasingly focusing on practical applications that can reduce administrative pressure, improve efficiency and support healthcare professionals.
The Nora story also highlights the potential for South African technology entrepreneurs to build specialised AI solutions around local healthcare challenges and scale them through partnerships with established technology providers.