Kry, a European digital-first healthcare company headquartered in Stockholm, is making a major investment in occupational healthcare, which will become a separate business area within the company.

Kry allows patients to consult with a qualified health professional via their smartphone, tablet or in person. Looking at the public sector in Sweden, occupational healthcare is mandatory according to collective agreements, with ⅔ of employees in the private sector estimated to have occupational healthcare to prevent injuries and illness and to help effective rehabilitation.

Kalle Conneryd Lundgren, CEO of Kry, told HBI, “Occupational health is becoming an increasingly important part of healthcare across Europe. More and more patients and employers recognise the value of preventative care — something current healthcare systems often lack. At Kry, we believe the answer lies in rethinking how care is delivered, and we are uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. Our strategy is to take responsibility and play a vital role in providing healthcare for everyone — this commitment is deeply embedded in our mission. Our B2B and occupational health services are a core and growing part of this effort.”

Kalle Conneryd Lundgren (photo credit, Rickard Kilström)

Kry was founded in 2015 and operates digital and physical healthcare in Sweden, Norway, France and the UK. The operations include 72 clinics that are integrated with digital healthcare, delivering over 200,000 consultations per month.

In France and the UK, Kry operates as Livi. A spokesperson confirmed to HBI the connection here that the UK (under Livi) already launched the SMB online GP service in 2024, with the B2B side now expanding into Sweden. 

“In the UK we now have over 25 companies who have joined us directly from across a number of sectors including professional services, transport, manufacturing and FMCG with varying numbers of employees starting at 50 through to 1000+. We do however cover more than 80,000 businesses via indirect Employee Assistance programmes. Since launch, six months ago, the appointment volume has seen a threefold increase as people seek a more convenient and accessible GP service.”

In recent years Kry has grown primarily within physical healthcare and now, in Sweden, has a total of 66 clinics and receptions in 17 of the country’s 21 regions.

While the company states occupational healthcare does already exist on a smaller scale within Kry, it explains it will now be fully integrated with the company’s technology to navigate patients to the right care. At the same time, occupational healthcare will become a business area that is added to the portfolio, including primary care, specialist care and digital healthcare.

Yamin Granberg, VP Commercial at Kry, commented on the company’s strengths in leadership, mental health and primary care in a release, adding, “The important thing is that by collaborating around the patient, we can offer better and more effective occupational healthcare. We challenge traditional occupational healthcare with our tech and our ability to create good processes that provide high accessibility to all services that the customer demands. Here we can create real social benefit by working preventively and shortening the time that those affected are on sick leave.”

In December 2024, the government in Sweden appointed the Efficiency Committee, tasked with overseeing regional initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the national healthcare system. The Committee will allocate 1.5 billion SEK (~€140 million) to eligible initiatives, conduct analysis, recommend improvements, and promote the adoption of effective measures nationwide.

The group consists of economists including Jonathan Siverskog and Niclas Johansson and Lena Furmark, welfare manager at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.

It has now also been announced that Conneryd Lundgren has been appointed as a member. The senior consultant surgeon and associate professor in reconstructive plastic surgery is the only doctor in the group. 

On why setting this Committee up was so important, Conneryd Lundgren told us, “Like all European countries, Sweden is facing a situation where healthcare costs are increasing to unsustainable levels — just as the population needing care is growing and ageing. The only viable solution is to make the system more efficient. Tackling the complex challenge of redesigning a century-old healthcare system into something fit for the coming decades may be one of the most important tasks any society can undertake.”

Was it difficult to find doctors to join the group? “I don’t know if it has been difficult or not, or even why that is the case. Often people who combine medical knowledge with a solid understanding of economy and technology are perhaps not the most common.”

Kry has also recently been accused of cheating and double billing, to which Conneryd Lundgren has spoken out against this publicly. He also told us, “The claim made by Region Skane is simply misguided and reflects a lack of understanding of their own outdated registration and invoicing systems. We are fully confident that we have processed our data correctly and submitted it to them as required. We remain hopeful for a swift resolution — for the sake of patients who rely on our care.”

The funds of the Committee can be applied for by the 21 regions in Sweden and will be distributed based on the impact that the initiatives have on streamlining operations and its administration. It operates as a special decision-making body within the central agency, known as Kammarkollegiet, which covers an extensive area of over 30 different tasks or work streams assigned to it by the Swedish government. The different tasks mainly involve activities that require qualified legal and economic expertise.

Read more: Livi launches new employer-funded online GP service