Clementine, a Maastricht-based startup that has built an AI-powered platform to help hearing clinics convert leads into patients, has raised €1.7 million ($2 million) in Seed funding.
The Seed round was led by Healthy.Capital, an Amsterdam-based early-stage HealthTech investor that has backed Pharmi, MS Sherpa, OpenUp, Datamonk, Clear.bio, among others.
“Clementine combines deep domain expertise with a clear AI platform strategy that can scale globally. We believe this approach will fundamentally change how people with hearing disability engage with hearing healthcare. And that’s impact we like to help scale,” said Douwe Jippes, managing partner, Healthy.Capital.
Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Maastricht, in the Dutch province of Limburg, Clementine was started by Vince van de Weijer, who serves as founder and CEO. The company, also known as ClementineAI, describes itself as the world’s first AI hearing activation platform, built specifically for the hearing-care industry.
The platform is built around Matthew, Clementine’s AI hearing care agent, which engages directly with prospective patients. The AI agent is capable of answering questions 24/7 without judgment or a waiting list, educating users, overcoming emotional and practical barriers, and guiding them toward appropriate care.
For clinics struggling to answer every patient, Matthew can eliminate administrative work for staff and translate calls into bookings. For patients, there is streamlined communication and improved hearing outcomes.
“Clinics don’t need more leads; they need better conversations at the right moment,” said Vince van de Weijer, founder and CEO of Clementine. “Matthew, Our AI Hearing Care Agent, ensures no patient inquiry goes unanswered.”
The Seed funding comes just months after the company expanded its commercial footprint through a partnership with Zoolstra, a marketing agency serving hearing clinics and hearing groups across the United States and Canada.
According to Clementine, hearing loss affects an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide and nearly 80% of those affected never seek treatment, and those who do have to typically wait for more than eight years.
By pairing AI with behavioural science, Clementine aims to provide people with a judgement-free, always-available way to begin engaging with hearing care before they are ready to walk into a clinic.
The funding round will be used to deepen the company’s AI capabilities and expand its partnerships with hearing clinics, optical retailers, and other healthcare organisations.
Source: EU-Startups
