Medadom, a company that installs telemedicine consultation booths inside pharmacies and optical stores, has been named to France’s Next40—an annual list of the country’s highest-potential startups—announced at VivaTech 2026.
The move is both symbolic and strategic. Landing in the Next40 places Medadom among a small group of companies that France’s “French Tech” initiative sees as capable of scaling across Europe and beyond. For Medadom, the recognition validates a model built around a simple idea: make medical care available where patients already go—local pharmacies and optical retailers.
A regulated market with 13.9 million reimbursed teleconsultations
Medadom operates in a tightly regulated sector after problems that emerged during the Covid-19 crisis. The French state now requires prior approval for any platform that wants to work with the national health insurance system (Assurance maladie) on reimbursed teleconsultations.
In 2024, 13.9 million teleconsultations were covered, but only through seven certified platforms. Medadom is on that list, alongside Tessan Med, Qare, Medaviz, Livi, MedecinDirect, and EOS Care.
Doctolib—France’s dominant medical appointment-booking platform—is not included. The company backed by Xavier Niel and his partners was sanctioned for abuse of a dominant position and remains outside the scope of reimbursed teleconsultation. That gap is where Medadom has positioned itself, with a physical model rooted in pharmacy networks rather than at-home video visits.
VivaTech spotlights a hybrid approach to digital health
VivaTech is the annual stage where French Tech announcements get their biggest media lift. Medadom’s Next40 entry is being presented as validation of its hybrid model—at the intersection of digital health and neighborhood retail.
Unlike app-only telehealth players, Medadom relies on a physical footprint of booths installed in stores. That infrastructure creates a barrier to entry that fully digital competitors can struggle to replicate.
What the Next40 signals in France’s startup ecosystem
The Next40 ranking is updated each year by the French Tech mission, which is attached to the ministry responsible for digital affairs. It groups 40 French startups considered the most advanced in fundraising and growth prospects. Inclusion can open doors—easier access to public procurement, stronger international visibility, and a clear signal to investors.
For Medadom, the challenge now is sustaining momentum. The reimbursed teleconsultation market remains constrained by the limited number of approved platforms and by shifts in Assurance maladie policy. The model’s durability depends as much on regulation as on Medadom’s ability to deploy booths across a dense enough network to compete with at-home consultations and local health centers.
