Saude Viavel: growing hair beyond Portugal

The project started with Paulo Ramos, CEO of Saude Viavel, as he had been struggling with hair loss from a relatively young age. During his investigations as a patient, he learned more about the topic and eventually decided to launch his start-up in 2009.

Surrounding himself with experts, Paulo brought in his economics and business background to set up shop in Lisbon. Today, the group has facilities also in Porto, Vilamoura and Madrid, while clients include both men and women (30%), from all over Europe but also the Middle East and Asia.

“The technique we use is used all over the world now,” says Carlos Portinha, Clinical Director, “But there are still differences in the way you do it, and of course the devices used. We developed our own devices because others weren’t so precise. These things can make the difference,” he explains. “We’re already developing robots, and we’re hopeful that soon, we will have robots performing the entire procedure from A to Z, opening up the potential for distance control and higher consistency and speed: Robotic arms can transplant at double the best speed man can achieve… We’re constantly innovating. It’s key in medicine but also in a company like ours, to be different and excel.”

As the company looks to expand and internationalise, it has a new partner in Vallis Capital Partners, a private equity firm backed by the EIF, who made an equity investment in the company in 2019. “We had already opened a clinic in Madrid, in collaboration with Cristiano Ronaldo, who invested in our business, and we’re now looking to open new clinics in Milan, Paris and Brussels soon. Our aim is to open two new clinics every year,” Paulo explains.

We will also soon be adopting a new name, Insparya, which is inspired by what we do and by Cristiano, who grew from a poor family into who he is now, taking small steps to improve, and giving patients better service every day.