Kerryman leads European expansion of healthcare platform Kara Connect

John McElligott previously worked with Ebay before moving to Kara Connect. Photo: Ebay

Kerry businessman John McElligott will lead the UK and European expansion of Kara Connect, a Nordic technology company that gives employees access to doctors and other health related supports.

The expansion plans will create 100 jobs in Ireland alone.

“More and more organisations recognise the health and well-being of their workforce as a major priority in employee recruitment, engagement, and retention,” said Mr McElligott.

Mr McElligott was chosen to be Ireland CEO for Kara Connect after serving time as a board member since 2020. The UCC graduate has a track record of helping the growth of businesses such as eBay, Smartbox, and Interflora.

Kara Connect was founded in Iceland by educational psychologist Thorbjorg Helga Vigfusdottir. It now provides a platform for employees to talk with doctors, therapists, and counsellors.  Career and life coaches also provide their services on the platform in addition to nutritionists, psychologists, speech therapists, and financial counsellors.

The healthcare workers are able to upload notes to the secure platform, allowing practitioners to engage with and support their clients digitally.

“These trends have accelerated through the pandemic and these services are becoming the recognised standard for corporate well-being throughout Europe and beyond,” said Mr McElligott.

Kara Connect decided to base its operational base in Dublin to expand into the UK and Europe following its Series A fundraising round. The company secured €6m during the round, led by Kvika Asset Management.

“Dublin is recognised around the world as a location for top talent and as a global tech hub, making it the ideal location for us to establish our European sales and marketing hub,” said Ms Vigfusdottir, CEO of Kara Connect.