Non-surgical cosmetic procedures hub SafeAP secures £250,000 investment
The aesthetic treatments marketplace started by two female NHS doctors aims to make it easy to find qualified practitioners and improve patient safety.
SafeAP (The Safe Aesthetic Practitioner), the non-surgical cosmetic treatments marketplace, has secured £250,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by early-stage focused venture capital firm Jenson Funding Partners. The investment will help SafeAP position itself as the go-to marketplace for qualified healthcare practitioners and customers in the UK while also expanding its team and the range of treatments and products sold.
The injectable skincare industry, which falls under aesthetics procedures, is growing rapidly as demand for the likes of Botulinum Toxin injections, hyaluronic acid injections, lip fillers and other non-surgical procedures rises. But the sector has been relatively unregulated, which the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee has sought to address with a new licensing regime focused on improving quality control and safety. Additionally, the process of finding reputable practitioners is often challenging without asking for recommendations from others, but that in itself can be difficult as there is a social stigma for some around this subject.
Co-founders Dr. Subha Punj and Dr. Sieuming Ng launched SafeAP in 2020 to solve these problems. As NHS doctors, they saw first-hand the skin confidence issues that many people deal with and the growing concerns over patient safety. Their understanding of what practitioners and patients need led to the creation of a marketplace where people can search for aesthetic practitioners based on the skin treatments they seek, book appointments, and stay on top of their treatment journey. Patients are able to select qualified medical practitioners who have been vetted and verified by SafeAP before being allowed onto the platform.
For practitioners, many of whom perform these procedures on an adhoc basis, SafeAP’s objective is to support them by offering all the components of a clinic software, from e-consultations and communication with patients to all the necessary documentation, in a single place. Practitioners use SafeAP on a pay-as-you-go basis, with the marketplace receiving its commission when appointments are booked.
Dr. Subha Punj, Co-founder of SafeAP, says: “As someone who’s had to deal with acne and scarring throughout my life, I have a deep understanding of the skin issues so many people go through. It can be intimidating to find the right treatment, as well as being slightly embarrassing to ask others for advice on where to go. One of the major reasons Sieuming and I started the business was to challenge the stigma surrounding aesthetics and show that it’s really an amalgamation of both beauty and healthcare. SafeAP provides access to qualified practitioners and gives patients the tools and a safe place to find treatments, empowering them to get the skin care they need.”
Dr. Sieuming Ng, Co-founder of SafeAP, adds: “Working in the NHS as a medical doctor and then as an aesthetics practitioner myself, I’ve experienced first-hand the difficulty practitioners face in managing their service offering and the issues around safety in a relatively unregulated industry. For practitioners, I saw a need for a platform that empowers them to start and build their side hustle, as many perform these non-surgical aesthetic procedures on an adhoc basis. By working with Subha to launch SafeAP, we’ve created a marketplace that connects patients with qualified medical professionals, and one that’s built on safety, convenience, and accessibility.”
Sarah Barber, CEO at Jenson Funding Partners, says: “With so many people out there dealing with acne and other skin issues, it was surprising to hear that the industry remains something of a ‘Wild West’ given the prevalence of aesthetics procedures. SafeAP is changing the game for non-surgical aesthetics procedures by providing a platform that enables patients to find qualified and vetted practitioners at an affordable price, while giving practitioners the support they need and a place to offer their services. We’re excited to be investing in a company that’s at the forefront of driving innovation in this space.”