Healthtech pioneer Aurora Innovation appoints new CEO – expands in Europe with service that streamlines patient-healthcare interaction

The Swedish health technology company pursues international growth with new leadership and increased focus on innovation and software development.

UPPSALA, Sweden (March 26th, 2024) Aurora Innovation, a health technology company focusing on the accessibility of healthcare services, has appointed Jonas Ahlkvist as the company’s new CEO. Ahlkvist steps into his new role as Aurora Innovation prepares to scale up its operations and continues its international expansion. The company anticipates an average growth of 15% over the next five years.

Previously, Ahlkvist has served in senior management roles in the medical software company Viedoc and the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring.

“With his extensive experience in the health tech industry and his background in computer science and software development, combined with a proven record of leading high-performing teams, Ahlkvist will take our software-based product development to new heights. His emphasis is on the importance of usability, calling for technical solutions that answer the healthcare staff’s needs, and reduce stress for healthcare professionals and patients alike,” says Gustaf Leijonhufvud, Pediatrician, Chairman of the Board of Directors and owner of Aurora Innovation.

Ahlkvist has a proven track record in developing AI and SaaS services, and at Aurora Innovation, he will develop the company’s AI capabilities and the execution of R&D projects within the AI domain, focusing on both service offering and business models. Responding to the increasing strain on healthcare services requires increasingly efficient digital services that allow healthcare professionals to focus on their core responsibilities.

“Sweden, Finland, and many other countries face the same challenges: an aging population with increasing healthcare needs and a lack of resources in the healthcare system. What we need now is innovative and efficient solutions. This is Aurora’s mission – to help society and its healthcare systems arrange its care services effectively and inclusively while allowing healthcare professionals to focus on the most important part of their work: caring for patients,” said Ahlkvist.

Aurora’s teleQ solution automates communication between the customers and healthcare. One of the system’s key tools is a scheduled callback service, which allows healthcare professionals and customers to engage in calm and high-quality interactions, saving time for both. While a bot may be highly efficient, it cannot provide peace of mind to a worried patient in the same way that human interaction can. The feeling of being heard and getting the needed care is an important part of the customer experience.

Aurora Innovation’s clients include Janakkala and Ylöjärvi healthcare centers in Finland, Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, and Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands together with hospitals, healthcare centers and dental clinics in Estonia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, among others. 

Although cultures differ, the need for personal, human-to-human contact is shared across markets, and Aurora Innovation recognizes significant growth potential in Europe.