Bengaluru-based healthcare startup Sukino has raised $31 Mn (around INR 260 Cr) in a Series B funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Rainmatter.
The startup will use the capital to expand its care centre network across India, adding 22 new centres over the next two years. This would take Sukino beyond its current footprint of 11 centres and 850+ beds across Bengaluru, Kochi and Coimbatore. The startup says that it added five centres in the last year and claims to be profitable at a group level, despite operating an asset-heavy model.
Founded in 2016 by Rajinish Menon and Shalini Menon, Sukino focusses on post-hospital continuum recovery, a segment that remains largely unorganised in India. Patients recovering from strokes, surgeries or cancer treatments often require 6–8 weeks of structured rehabilitation, including physical, speech, occupational and psychological therapy. In most cases, this phase of care is managed at home by families, with limited clinical oversight.
Sukino positions itself as an institutional alternative to home-based recovery, offering protocol-driven care in dedicated facilities. Its centres are located close to large hospitals and residential clusters, enabling smoother transitions after discharge. While stroke rehabilitation is its primary use case, the startup also admits patients with neurological, orthopaedic and oncology-related conditions.
The startup says that it is benefiting from changes in insurance coverage, with several health plans now covering 60–90 days of rehabilitation care, reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients. It is also seeing higher acceptance of institutional recovery facilities among families, as outcomes and caregiver burden become clearer factors in care decisions.
India accounts for around 10% of global stroke cases each year, with incidence rising due to lifestyle and environmental factors. Despite this, organised rehabilitation infrastructure remains limited, leaving a gap that Sukino and similar operators are looking to address.
The funding comes amid renewed investor interest in healthcare delivery startups. As per Inc42’s Annual Funding Report 2025, investments in healthcare startups rose 37% year-on-year to about $746 Mn. While deal volumes remained selective, capital increasingly flowed to businesses with clear revenue models and physical healthcare infrastructure.
In 2025, telemedicine became a regular part of clinical practice, particularly for follow-ups and chronic care, while digital pharmacy platforms continued to scale in large cities. Larger funding rounds including Innovaccer’s $275 Mn and PharmEasy’s $192 Mn anchored the overall funding lapped up by the sector in the previous year.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
