Read the Conversation
Meeting Highlights:
- Tech-Driven Healthcare Integration: Sofía fills Mexico’s gap by combining insurance with accessible care via telemedicine and preventative health.
- Seamless Digital Experience: Sofía’s app enables quick doctor access to medical history, reducing wait times and improving care.
- SME-Focused Growth Strategy: Targeting Mexico’s 99.5% SME market ensures long-term expansion and addresses an unmet need.
- Preventative Care Priority: Initial consultations guide users toward better health, reducing costs and improving outcomes.
- Scaling Impact and Trust: Rapid growth, early diagnostics, and transparent care build trust and improve healthcare access.
EF: What inspired Sofía, and what market gap did you identify to disrupt an industry traditionally dominated by big players?
AC: We identified an opportunity in Mexico where there was no integration between financial protection offered by major medical expense insurance for serious cases and accidents and day-to-day healthcare, including preventive care. Most insurance plans focused primarily on protecting individuals from financial consequences but remained disconnected from the healthcare experience.
This is a unique gap in Mexico, as most other countries have products that integrate care delivery with financial protection. A strong example is Kaiser Permanente in the U.S., which consolidates the entire value chain into a single product. However, Mexico lacked a similar model.
Recognizing this, we saw an opportunity to leverage technology to create a more comprehensive insurance plan. Integrating services like telemedicine into the insurance product could make routine care, such as consultations for a cold or headache, more accessible. This approach allows us to offer complete care that combines financial security with easy access to healthcare services.
EF: How does your app, as an all-in-one solution, improve the experience compared to traditional providers?
AC: The key factor in delivering a great user experience is making healthcare easily accessible. Today, unlike 30 years ago, almost everyone carries a smartphone, which serves as the perfect tool for instant access to medical care. Being able to connect with a doctor through your phone significantly improves accessibility.
Beyond convenience, our technology enhances the experience by ensuring that doctors have access to a user’s complete medical history. This makes each consultation more effective and personalized. With Sofía, all medical records are stored in one place, allowing doctors to provide informed care immediately.
When you compare this to the traditional experience—where you might wait hours or even days for an appointment with a doctor who has no prior knowledge of your health—the difference is clear. With Sofía, you can speak to a doctor within minutes, making healthcare more efficient and impactful.
EF: What segment have you identified as your ideal
AC: There are many segments within the market, and through our experience engaging with different parts of it, we identified small businesses as an ideal customer group. Traditional insurance providers often overlook them, yet they have both the need and the resources to provide private healthcare options for their employees.
Additionally, the potential in this segment is significant, as 99% of companies in Mexico are SMEs. Given that they are underserved and actively seeking better healthcare solutions, we saw a strong opportunity for growth by focusing on this market.
EF: What initiatives do you have in the preventative healthcare space?
AC: The foundation of our products is built on providing complete care, which includes both preventive services and coverage for minor medical episodes. On the preventive side, we take an active approach, starting with what we call a welcome video consultation.
During this initial interaction, users speak with an internal medicine physician who takes the time to understand their medical history, including family history and lifestyle factors. This allows the doctor to offer personalized guidance on improving their health, whether as simple as dietary recommendations or identifying potential concerns that require further examination. Sometimes, the doctor may suggest lab tests to investigate specific health issues more thoroughly.
EF: To what extent can telemedicine and online consultations bridge gaps in terms of access?
AC: To be realistic, some areas in Mexico still struggle to establish basic infrastructure, making access to healthcare extremely difficult. While these conditions are improving, progress takes time. However, even in regions with adequate infrastructure, there is often a shortage of specialists in smaller towns.
This is where telemedicine plays a crucial role. For example, the internal medicine physicians assigned to our members serve as the first point of contact, which is particularly valuable in remote villages where specialists are scarce. Internal medicine doctors provide comprehensive guidance and can determine whether a patient needs to see a specialist, such as a cardiologist or endocrinologist. Instead of traveling to the nearest city without a clear plan, patients can now make informed decisions and go directly to the right specialist, saving time and effort.
While the system is not perfect, expanding access to specialized care through telemedicine significantly improves healthcare quality. It ensures that people in underserved areas receive better guidance and a more efficient care experience.
EF: How do you attract and retain the best talent? Additionally, as a company built on innovation, how do you foster an environment that encourages continuous innovation among your team?
AC: I strongly believe we got it right by pursuing a big, impactful mission. A strong mission is contagious and energizes people.
What we are trying to achieve—helping people take better care of their health—is something many can deeply relate to. Everyone has experienced health challenges, either personally or through a family member. This makes our work tangible and meaningful. If we build great products and deliver quality services, we can truly make a difference in people's lives during difficult moments. That sense of purpose makes attracting talent easier. While hiring is never simple, having a clear and meaningful mission is a guiding principle for everyone at Sofía and motivates us to tackle such an important problem.
Innovation is an interesting challenge. Since we are built around technology, we are already well-positioned to leverage new tools. However, even as a digital-first company, we constantly adapt to emerging technologies such as AI. The key is ensuring that transformation happens quickly.
Driving innovation must come from the top. If leadership does not fully embrace new technologies, it will be difficult for the company to do so. I use 10 to 15 different AI tools daily for various tasks, and I continuously push our team to explore how we can integrate these technologies to improve our offerings.
EF: How can we create and build more trust in healthcare?
AC: It is a challenge, especially for an insurance company, considering its position in the value chain. Our approach is to align incentives as closely as possible with the patient, and this is where the preventive side of our model stands out.
If we find that certain preventative measures help reduce our costs, that benefits the company. However, from the patient’s perspective, cost reduction often means avoiding illness, which is incredibly impactful and important. By aligning our financial success with the health outcomes of our customers—specifically by reducing illness—we create a powerful dynamic. If we manage to achieve this balance, it forms a strong foundation for building trust with our customers.
EF: Why is investing one dollar in diagnostics in Mexico more beneficial than investing elsewhere?
AC: I believe that investing one dollar in complete care is truly impactful, and diagnostics play a key role in that. When you invest in diagnostics and combine that with proper follow-up care, it becomes even more powerful. If the diagnostic results are quickly addressed and, when necessary, lead to timely major care such as surgery, the entire process becomes highly effective. The key is ensuring that everything is well-coordinated—both in terms of timing and how resources are allocated throughout the care episode.
For example, if a person receives a quick diagnosis and the follow-up care is swift, it can prevent complications and significantly improve the outcome. The patient will see this as a situation where things could have gone much worse if not caught early. However, if there's a long delay in receiving test results or follow-up care, the impact is diminished, and the benefits are not as powerful.
EF: After nearly seven years of building the company, what are you most proud of?
AC: The first thing I would be most proud of is the product we have built. It can have a meaningful, positive impact on people's lives. The feedback we receive, such as "Sofía saved my life," is incredibly powerful and reinforces that feeling.
Secondly, I would be proud of the scale we have reached, covering tens of thousands of people. While we aim to get hundreds or even millions, tens of thousands is already a significant and impactful achievement.
Finally, I am proud of the company we have built. It is not just about technology; it is about delivering care and managing a very operationally complex endeavor. Coordinating all aspects of care while adhering to compliance and regulatory requirements takes a lot of moving pieces to get right. I am particularly proud of how Sofía operates behind the scenes.
EF: What would be your final message to share with our readers?
AC: One aspect that stands out is how we can make Mexico healthier in the coming years. I believe embracing a model of complete, coordinated care is key. While educating the public about this is a significant undertaking, it is essential for improving health outcomes.
