Incubator: Framtidens Företag

Los Angeles to Gothenburg

– I wouldn’t call myself a traditional entrepreneur, but I am definitely a result oriented one. 

Before starting Doctor STD, Cecilia Videcél went to college in Los Angeles, focusing on the fashion industry.

– I was determined to pursue a career in marketing, and worked with PR firms and high-profile clients. After a few years in LA, I started to feel like the fashion industry was a bit too superficial, and as an intern you could easily lose your position to someone else on any given day.

That way of living wasn’t appealing to me anymore, and I wanted to create something bigger and to create something that matters.  
 

No more Googling your disease

– The idea of Doctor STD came when one of my friends confided in me that her ex-boyfriend had called her up and told her to get tested for an STI. She didn’t want to disclose much more than that, so we turned to our dear friend Google.

What they found on Google made everything worse, Cecilia explains.

– People were giving faulty and sometimes dangerous advice when they clearly didn’t have any real knowledge about it. Some even went so far to tell the people asking for help that they deserved whatever STD they caught. Clearly something needed to be done here.

Around the same time, Cecilia had started to switch merchandise classes to business classes at school, and she decided to put this new idea into a business plan. 

­– That was the start of it.

Doctor STD offers online meetings with doctor and nurses, focusing on the area of sexual health. On the Doctor STD platform, people can get correct answers and a treatment plan, if needed.

It also has a spin off called STD Talk where people can anonymously still ask each other questions and share personal experiences. 

– The forum is moderated by a healthcare professional to make sure people are not sharing dangerous and faulty information, like the ones we found when googling for my friend.

Always take the highroad

A big learning from starting up a company is to be able to adapt to the market, Cecilia explains.

– The market is changing faster than ever, and if you’re not able to adapt, it won’t survive. You can have a great idea that solves a need, but if the market is moving forward and you’re not, it will most definitely fail. 

Another key insight at the time was the importance of finding a great incubator and to surround yourself with likeminded people, she continues: 

– After moving into my incubator, it took off immediately.

Doctor STD is a part of Framtidens Företag, supporting the company with business coaching, pitch training, and network.

– They are a big part of my success in so many ways. Being part of this incubator also gave Doctor STD the credibility it needed.

Within two months from moving in, Cecilia got her first offer from an investor.

 – I’ve also learned that if they won’t give you more than 15 minutes, then you better make the most out of those 15 minutes you’ll get. Be focused, well spoken, know your market and need, and present it in a way that they remember you. And always take the high road.

SEO globalized the customer base

After launching a first beta version, Doctor STD started getting users from all over the world, much thanks to the company name perhaps. 

– We chose the name Doctor STD because of the SEO. Doctor and STD are usually the words people google when having questions about symptoms or if they are worried in general. We were happy to see that some of our first customers came from UK, US and Germany. Through that we could connect with organisations in those countries

Doctor STD just got fully funded in their first stage investment round, and some big partners with that. 

– Without saying too much, I am sure these new connections will be a game changer for Doctor STD.