WeDoctor close to raising US$350m ahead of IPO

[HONG KONG] WeDoctor is close to raising US$350 million ahead of a planned initial public offering (IPO) that's been complicated by the departure of chief financial officer John Cai, who joined this year to spearhead the deal, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company is still pushing ahead with an IPO in Hong Kong and plans to file its prospectus around the February Lunar New Year, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing an internal matter. Mr Cai has left the Tencent Holdings-backed firm while being offered an advisory role, the people said.

It has been a year of structural shifts and unexpected bumps for the Hangzhou-based company, which will now need to find a quick replacement as it continues to work on its listing. Part of a growing contingent of tech giants trying to transform China's health-care system, the firm is navigating an increasingly strict regulatory environment after recent government crackdowns on internet companies.

In preparations for the listing, WeDoctor is splitting the business into two parts, with plans to list its healthcare services operations, which include both online and on-the-ground consulting, they said. That part is valued at more than US$6 billion pre-money in its latest funding round, the people said, adding that the target is preliminary and could be subject to change.

Its more sensitive data business that handles personal medical records will be spun off and kept private to comply with regulatory demands, the people said.

Citigroup along with JPMorgan Chase & Co and CMB International Securities had earlier been picked to lead the share sale, which was expected to happen before the end of this year. WeDoctor was seeking to raise US$500 million to US$1 billion in the listing, a person familiar has said.

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WeDoctor and Mr Cai declined to comment.

Mr Cai was hired in the first quarter to spearhead its IPO, bringing with him experience running AIA Group's operations in key markets including China, Malaysia and Vietnam. At the time, the company was aiming for a US$10 billion valuation.

WeDoctor's business spans from insurance policies and medical supplies to online appointment-booking and clinics. The country's largest healthcare payer, which covers more than 95 per cent of the population, is working with the company to provide insurance-covered health care.

The company operates 16 healthcare facilities and 30 online internet hospitals, connecting 7,600 hospitals and 250,000 physicians as of October. In a 2018 funding round, it was valued at about US$5.5 billion.

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