Ghent, Belgium — Belgian HealthTech startup Cavell has raised €1.5 million in pre-seed funding to tackle one of healthcare’s biggest inefficiencies: administrative overload. With fresh capital and strategic investors on board, the Ghent-based company is set to scale across Belgium and Europe, bringing its AI-powered medical documentation tool to hospitals and clinics aiming to streamline care and put patients first.
Founded in 2024 by Anthony Rathé, Pieter Olivier, and Louis Verdonckt, Cavell offers software that listens during medical consultations, surgeries, or nurse rounds and automatically generates structured, coded reports. These reports are sent directly into patients’ electronic health records (EHRs), eliminating hours of manual data entry.
“As a physician, I saw how much time was lost to paperwork,” said Pieter Olivier, neurologist at AZ Sint-Lucas and Cavell co-founder. “Cavell frees us to focus on what really matters — the patient.”
The tool is already gaining traction. At AZ Sint-Lucas, a key early partner, the hospital’s CEO Thierry Freyne praised the project for harnessing in-house innovation: “We’re building tech with our own people, not just relying on external vendors. That’s the future of healthcare innovation.”
Cavell is quickly spreading through the Belgian healthcare landscape:
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At Medined GP Practice, Cavell helps doctors like Pieter Vanderschaeve focus on patient interaction. “I save time, get clearer notes, and don’t miss a detail,” he said.
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AZ Oostende integrates Cavell through its HiTide innovation cell. Director of Data & IT Brecht Dekeyser reported enthusiastic feedback from staff, noting reduced screen time and improved face-to-face care.
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At the European Hip Center, Cavell enhances precision medicine. “We capture structured data in real-time,” said CEO Stijn Roose. “It feeds into our data warehouse instantly — a game changer.”
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AZORG’s Frank Staelens, Director of Care Innovation, sees the startup as a key driver of digital transformation: “It cuts down workload, improves data quality, and supports better care.”
For co-founder Louis Verdonckt, the investment marks a pivotal milestone. “We’re moving fast — from local partnerships to a European rollout,” he said. “With our investors’ trust, we can scale and deliver real impact in care settings everywhere.”
The funding will be used to expand product development, strengthen integration with existing healthcare software, and accelerate Cavell’s European expansion. The team’s vision is clear: make structured medical data effortless to capture, for every clinician, in every care setting.
“We’re not just another health app,” said Rathé. “We’re building infrastructure — robust, intuitive, and fully embedded into healthcare workflows.”
As healthcare systems across Europe seek more efficient, human-centered solutions, Cavell aims to become the new standard for clinical documentation — transforming admin time into patient time.
