In collaboration with MT/Sprout – Written by: John van Schagen
Digitizing healthcare. It sounds like a logical step in an age where everything has to be smart, fast, and online. In practice, however, things turn out to be a lot more challenging, with protocols and outdated systems that don’t communicate with each other. Still, Tim Wolbrink and Derk Rietveld are taking on the challenge. Their CoryCare is a new platform designed to finally enable healthcare professionals to truly collaborate.
This entrepreneurial adventure begins on the other side of the world, in Shanghai. That’s where Tim Wolbrink and Dr. Derk Rietveld meet.
“I worked there as a business developer, and he worked as a doctor,” says Wolbrink. “In China, things move at lightning speed. They build something first, and only then do they set the rules. In Europe, it’s exactly the opposite, especially in a complex industry like healthcare.”
This experience got the two of them thinking. Why is it so difficult to organize digital healthcare in the Netherlands in a truly seamless way? A few years later—in 2020—they launched their own company in the Netherlands: CoryTechnology. Their mission? To build technology that simplifies and improves healthcare processes.
“Many systems in the healthcare sector are outdated and closed. It turns out that it’s virtually impossible to link applications together. As a result, general practitioners, hospitals, and patients often operate in silos, which does not benefit the quality of care.”
Open, safe, and patient-centered
To address this, his company worked on a new platform in the years that followed: CoryCare. Wolbrink compares it to a box of Legos, filled with modular building blocks that enable primary care physicians to provide digital care—from chat to video and from medical records to scheduling.
“Our system does communicate with other applications. It’s open, secure, and patient-centered. You can easily integrate new solutions with it.”
What helps here is their experience with Huisarts31, a hybrid practice for people who can’t find a primary care physician. This is the other arm of their business. “This digital-first practice gave us exactly the feedback we needed to build the new platform properly,” says Wolbrink.
Huisarts31 is now part of a cooperative of general practitioners, allowing Cory to focus entirely on the platform.
Moving Forward Step by Step
Many startups prefer to move as fast as possible. Develop something quickly, bring it to market, and then grab a slice of the pie. CoryTechnology has consciously chosen a slower pace. “Better done right than done fast” is their motto. “In healthcare, you can’t afford to rush. It’s all about trust, quality, and continuity,” says Wolbrink.
That approach is paying off. The platform is now in use at several family practice clinics, and demand continues to grow. “We get new clients mainly through word of mouth. Family doctors hear from their colleagues that it works, and that’s the best marketing you could ask for.”
His ambition is therefore crystal clear: to become the go-to platform for digital primary care within a few years. Still, he does not view growth as an end in itself.
“I think that’s nonsense. We want a healthy company that will still be around in ten years. An organization that runs so well that every euro automatically leads to further progress,” said the startup founder. “This requires smart processes, not hiring more and more people. Optimize first, then scale up.”
Working with like-minded people
Since 2024, CoryTechnology has been based at B. Amsterdam, the startup and scaleup community along Amsterdam’s western ring road. That decision turned out to be a huge success. “Our investor is Imec.istart, which encouraged us to find a place within a community. So I literally hopped on my bike and rode all over Amsterdam. I stopped at various places to get a feel for the atmosphere. When I walked in here, I knew right away: this is the right fit.”
See also: This area is becoming the best place to work and live in all of Amsterdam
Where did that feeling come from? Wolbrink cites the energy that the building exudes. “B. Amsterdam is well-organized, yet informal. There’s plenty of light everywhere, there are meeting spaces, there’s a bar, and there are fitness facilities. But what really makes the difference are the friendly people.”
His team—a core group of permanent staff and a network of flexible workers—enjoys working there. “We don’t have any rules about attendance. Anyone who wants to come does. And that happens naturally, because it’s a pleasant place to work. People stick around for a while after lunch and drop in on each other.”
The community itself also offers a network of other founders, with whom you can easily strike up a conversation. “Here, you’re surrounded by people going through the same things you are. I’m talking about the uncertainty, the growth, and the choices you have to make as a founder. That’s inspiring. Plus, this location gives us the chance to keep building our dream.”
Building with Blocks and People
Incidentally, Wolbrink had always had a knack for building things. As a child, he was crazy about Civilization, the computer game where you build an empire. “Actually, entrepreneurship is exactly that. You start with nothing, build it up step by step, and suddenly you have something that lasts.”
So, step by step. Because running a business in the healthcare sector—as he mentioned earlier—is not a sprint. It’s more like a marathon with obstacles. From securing funding to complying with regulations and earning trust—it’s all part of the process.
Despite all these challenges, Wilbrink is optimistic about the future of his product. “We don’t have a marketing budget in the millions to spend. I’d rather invest in quality. Because if something is really good, it sells itself. And that’s what we’re seeing happen now. Doctors are calling us because they’ve heard about us through the grapevine. That’s worth its weight in gold.”
His biggest challenge now is finding colleagues—people who don’t just look at the amount deposited into their accounts at the end of the month, but who believe in CoryTechnology’s mission. “We want to show that digital healthcare doesn’t have to be cold or impersonal. In fact, it can be more personal, simpler, and better.”
