Ditto Raises $8.2M to Help Patients Understand Their Doctor

Jan de Vries · 2026-05-12

### A HealthTech Startup That Translates Medical Jargon You know that feeling when you leave the doctor's office and can't remember half of what was said? You're not alone. Ditto, a Rotterdam-based HealthTech startup, just raised $8.2 million to tackle this exact problem. Their free app turns complex medical information into plain language, helping patients and families actually understand what's going on. The funding round was led by Heal Capital, with support from Optiverder and Rubio Impact Ventures. That's a solid vote of confidence from investors who see the potential here. ### Why This Matters Let's be honest: doctor visits can be overwhelming. When you get tough news, your brain sort of checks out. Suddenly, you're nodding along but not really hearing. Ditto's co-founder Tobias Polak puts it well: "No patient should have to guess what was just said." Founded in 2024 by Tobias Polak, Bart Voorn, and Merlijn van Breugel, Ditto is built around a simple idea: start with the patient, not the institution. The app has been free since summer 2025 and is available on ditto.care, the App Store, and Google Play. ### How It Works Using the Ditto app is straightforward. You record your consultation or snap a photo of a letter from your doctor. Within minutes, the app generates a clear summary. Need it in simple English, Turkish, or Arabic? No problem. You can review the summary whenever you want and share it securely with family. Here's what makes Ditto different: - **Privacy-first design:** Your health information never leaves your phone unless you choose to share it or get an AI summary. After processing, all data is deleted from their servers. - **No central storage:** Ditto can never read or access what you store in the app. It's protected by biometric login or passcode. - **EU-only infrastructure:** Audio is transcribed in the Netherlands by NEN-certified Juvoly, and AI summaries are generated on EU-based Azure servers. The company is GDPR and AVG compliant. ### The Bigger Picture Dr. Lucas Mittelmeier of Heal Capital explains: "Hundreds of startups build AI that help doctors document their work. Ditto builds the equivalent for patients, and its traction proves they've hit a nerve." And the traction is real. Nearly 100,000 people have downloaded the app since launch. The Dutch Patients' Federation has adopted it, and Menzis, a health insurer, now recommends it to all policyholders. Ditto also won the 2026 Dutch National Healthcare Innovation Award. ### What's Next? With this fresh capital, Ditto plans to expand across Europe and add new features. Think tools that help you ask the right questions before a consultation, or a visual care journey that guides both you and your family through the process. The goal? Make navigating healthcare as easy as using Google Maps. Remember when you had to unfold a paper map upside down on your lap? That's where healthcare communication is today. Ditto wants to change that. ### Bottom Line For anyone who's ever left a doctor's appointment confused and frustrated, Ditto offers a real solution. It's free, it's private, and it's built to put you back in control. That's something worth paying attention to.