Cancer Care Startup Onco Shuts Down Amid Unit Economics Challenge
The startup had raised over $7 million from investors including Accel and Chiratae Ventures. However, despite early momentum, the platform struggled to scale commercially.
Bengaluru-based cancer care startup Onco has ceased operations. The development was confirmed by Harsh Pokharna, cofounder and CEO of fintech firm OkCredit, who had invested in the company in 2020.
Founded in 2016 by oncologist Dr Amit Jotwani and IIT Kanpur alumnus Rashie Jain, Onco offered online consultations for cancer patients, booking of treatment packages, peer-to-peer support services, and medicine delivery through its aggregator platform.
Reportedly, the company was later acquired by Apollo Hospitals Group.
“They also built a strong brand. At their peak, they had 25,000+ visitors and over 1,000 unique leads (cancer patients) every month, all organic, across their website, app, and social channels,” Pokharna wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Additionally, the startup had raised over $7 million from investors including Accel and Chiratae Ventures. However, despite early momentum, the platform struggled to scale commercially.
“Hospitals in India hold all the power. They don’t really need you. Your margins get eaten alive by collections and compliance costs,” Pokharna noted.
He added, “Digital is great for leads, but it can’t be your whole business. Unit economics just don’t work with digital-only solutions because of low ARPU (average revenue per user). Building those offline centres isn’t cheap. Each one takes at least 12–24 months to break even.”
The shutdown comes amid a wave of activity in India’s healthtech space, with startups such as Complement 1, Plazza, and Zet Health vying for market share alongside established players such as PharmEasy, Practo, Netmeds, and Apollo Pharmacy. Corporate majors like Tata Digital and Amazon have also scaled up their healthcare offerings, expanding into e-pharmacy, diagnostics, and teleconsultation services.
