Valued at $3bn in a funding round last year, Chinese healthcare app Ping An Good Doctor rode a wave of investment flooding the country’s mobile medical sector. But investors are beginning to lose confidence in the ability of these companies to turn a profit. 

China’s more than 2,000 mobile healthcare apps encompassing medical advice, appointment booking and niche services are tapping into demand by offering convenience in a country where widespread distrust of clinics creates overcrowded hospitals. 

Good Doctor, backed by insurance group Ping An, claims 27m active monthly users who receive up to 400,000 diagnoses in a day, although some analysts estimate users at closer to 20m. “Digital healthcare services are releasing some of the pressure on China’s creaking healthcare system,” says founder Oliver Wang.