Every entrepreneur's ambition is to make a living from his or her future business, and much more besides. Yet few people, even with an idea that seems so original, imagine that it will generate so much enthusiasm that they can lay claim to a spectacular fund-raising operation. 

Yet this is also the case for some of France's so-called unicorn start-ups, including Doctolib. What is this phenomenon and why is this appointment booking service so popular? 

French unicorn: what are we talking about? 

The unicorn is a mythical animal that inspires dreams. The image of the unicorn was coined in 2013, drawing parallels with certain ambitious project ideas, to designate a company that develops very quickly and raises a great deal of funds. 

To qualify as a member of the (increasingly less closed) circle of French unicorns, a company must be created in an innovative sector, benefit from external funding of over a billion dollars, have been created less than 10 years ago and not yet be listed on the stock market, in which case it moves up a level. 

When the term "unicorn" was coined to describe this phenomenon, the American Aileen Lee demonstrated in her study that less than 0.1% of companies had these very specific characteristics. 

Since 2013, thanks in particular to French Tech, these start-ups have benefited from a breeding ground conducive to their development. Here's how. 

What is French Tech?

France possesses undeniable expertise in many fields. However, when it comes to entrepreneurship, despite some major successes, France's entrepreneurs can't hold a candle to the United States, the undisputed masters of genius start-ups generating huge amounts of capital. 

However, the government knows that digital technology (generally one of the other characteristics of these innovative companies) is set to grow, and that it will contribute to making French companies stronger and more competitive, not only in relation to other European structures, but also worldwide. 

This desire gave rise to French Tech, a kind of ecosystem that brings together start-ups, of course, but also decision-makers and investors on a national level. 

The idea is to make France an attractive location not only for French entrepreneurs, but also for those from other countries around the globe. In which case, France could qualify as a start-up nation, a status it aims to acquire in the near future. 

Creating jobs and strengthening the French economy are two of the objectives of this movement. 

To achieve this, the French Tech mission relies on local players; in which case, a territory can be proud of being labeled; but also international. 

The people who work there are looking all over the world for the places and people most conducive to the rapid development of start-ups; what we call in the jargon gas pedals or incubators, depending on what we're looking for. 

If we're talking about French Tech, the French government intends that, in a few years' time, we should also be talking about the "French Touch", a French method that guarantees the success and development of start-ups. 

Among the unicorns that have added to an already promising herd is Doctolib, which is revolutionizing the medical world by enhancing the patient experience. 

Doctolib's history and added value 

When someone has a health problem, their first reflex is to make an appointment by telephone with a doctor, but they come up against a number of possible problems: a secretary's office that doesn't work every day and is saturated with calls, the fact that they sometimes have to mention embarrassing health problems when making an appointment, which can lead them to refuse treatment, etc.

In addition, diary management can be hampered by human error, such as duplication or lack of knowledge about medical specialization options. It's also impossible to arrange appointments after office hours, at weekends and on public holidays.

In 2011, needing to make an appointment with a healthcare professional in a country other than his own, Steve Abou Rjeily was helped by a friend who told him about a matchmaking platform. The idea germinated in the young man's mind: why not create a site that would enable people to find a healthcare professional and book an appointment online, at any time? 

Two years later, with two friends and Stanislas Niox-Château, who in 2011 was looking for a new project, Doctolib was born. 

With the aim of helping both private individuals and healthcare professionals, they have surrounded themselves with a panel of professionals to test and provide feedback in order to improve the platform. 

While healthcare professionals pay a monthly subscription fee based on the modules they are interested in on the platform, everything is free for the patient. 

Despite competition in the same sector, the presence of Stan Niox-Château and his network enabled the company to raise an initial sum of one million euros, less than 6 months after the launch of the medical appointment booking site. 

Doctors and clinics are then canvassed to talk up Doctolib and what the platform can offer in the way of easier scheduling. It worked, resulting in a second round of financing that same year, raising a further 4 million euros. 

The following year, the Doctolib founding team went on the offensive against the competition, raising a further 18 million euros. 

In less than 10 months, 26, then 35 million euros made Doctolib the most profitable start-up in the medical sector: in addition to the spectacular fund-raising for the project, it posted insolent sales of 40 million euros in 2016, less than three years after its creation. 

France is no longer the only horizon, and after buying out its biggest competitor (mondocteur), Doctolib is now exporting. After just three years of existence, the phenomenon is successfully tackling European countries such as Germany and Italy. 

Valued at 5.8 billion euros by 2022, thanks to yet another round of fund-raising, Doctolib intends to broaden its range of services beyond diary management.

Helping doctors with their administrative management so that they can focus on their core business (helping patients), creating specific tools along the same lines specifically for hospitals, or assisting with the dematerialization of prescriptions and teletransmission are just some of the projects that are in the starting blocks. 

Everywhere in the world, there are sick people suffering not only from illnesses or pathologies, but also sometimes from medical desertification. 

At the same time, the public hospital system is drifting out of control, and carers are having to cope with increasingly limited resources. Cumulating administrative tasks with patient treatment and support is their daily lot. 

Doctolib wants to be on all fronts to make their daily lives easier. These problems in France can be found everywhere else. So Doctolib has set its sights on the international market, after conquering part of Europe. 

There's no doubt that, with such stubbornness and a business sector as universal as healthcare, the platform's success is just the beginning....

Doctolib: key information

 By 2022, the company will have 320,000 healthcare professionals and 2,700 employees, known as "Doctolibers", spread across France, Germany and Italy.

The French heavyweight in online medical appointment booking has estimated sales of 250 million euros in 2021. 

Despite a fund-raising round last March that valued Doctolib at 5.8 billion euros, no IPO has yet been mooted. 

France's most highly-valued start-up continues to prove its worth, with growth exploding in recent years, boosted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Initially launched in France, the online medical appointment platform quickly established itself in Germany and Italy. 

With the necessary investment and human resources in place, Doctolib's next step is to expand beyond Europe's borders. 

"The essential thing is not to have a revolutionary idea, but to improve the daily lives of millions of people with simple tools, providing concrete solutions to everyday problems", explains Stanislas Niox-Château.

We're talking about them!

Forbes.fr : " FOCUS LICORNE | Doctolib, the health giant in the making "

Le Figaro.fr: " How Doctolib became a must-have in ten years"

Les Numériques.com: " Doctolib, France's best-valued unicorn after raising half a billion euros".