CEO maps strategy around democratising medical tourism. “This is not just innovation, it’s inclusion.”
When So Iizuka (CEO and co-founder, Trambellir) speaks about medical tourism, he talks about it in relation to infrastructure, compliance, trust, and an industry-wide rewiring that’s happening just below the surface. With fresh funding, new partnerships, and an ambitious global distribution strategy, the Malaysia-based startup is carving out a new path in the medical tourism space, one white-label API at a time.
“This round of investment marks a defining moment for us,” So told WiT, referring to Trambellir’s recent MYR1.5 million funding from one of Japan’s largest conglomerates. “It’s not just a strategic play we’ve long envisioned, it’s a partnership grounded in shared values.” That partner isn’t your average investor. With over USD120 billion in revenue, more than 600 consolidated companies, and 104 offices in 90 countries, it comes baked with extensive global reach. But So insists that the value goes deeper than capital. “It’s not just a matter of financial backing. We’re aligning on a vision and actively co-creating solutions in the medical tourism industry, with Japan being our primary focus at the time.”
It’s a bold statement for a relatively young startup but one that’s backed by a methodical, long-term strategy. “Even at the micro level, we’re already aligning, referring potential stakeholders across to bring drastic yet meaningful changes in healthcare access worldwide,” So said. “The collaboration feels less like an investment and more like a shared momentum.”
Building deep before going wide
So is the first to admit that 2024 wasn’t a year of flashy growth. “Unfortunately, last year was not the year when our sales and revenue grew,” he said. “Most of the time in 2024, a lot of our energy went into laying the groundwork, meeting over 600 due diligence items tied to legal, compliance, and cybersecurity.” The process, conducted with the yet-to-be-announced Japanese enterprise, was exhaustive. “It covered everything from global regulations to state laws globally including the US,” said So. “It was a deep and thorough process.”
In an interesting move during that time, Trambellir chose to pull back from some markets. “We made some hard but necessary decisions, including stepping back from certain markets where legal risks didn’t align with our long-term plans,” he said. “Those steps were extremely tough tasks but absolutely essential for our future plan to be successful.”
But he’s confident that it paid off. “Regardless, I believe that we are the most knowledgeable company who has accurate legal information about these fields at the moment,” said So. “We’ve built a compliance engine that’s not just for us, but one that benefits our entire network.”
MedGDS aims to be more than a marketplace
With the foundations laid, Trambellir is currently shifting into growth mode and at the center of that expansion is MedGDS, its Global Distribution System for medical travel. “We’re using the new funding to scale our team and dive headfirst into the B2B travel tech industry through MedGDS,” said So. “It’s our way of unlocking medical tourism for SME travel agencies that previously had no access to this inventory.”
Unlike many platforms that flood the market, MedGDS is designed with intentional scarcity. “We’ve limited agency sign-ups in each country, ensuring they retain distinct selling points tailored to their markets,” So said. The first markets include select EU countries and Scandinavia, where demand for outbound medical treatment is strong. “As we speak, we’re close to reaching full supply partnership capacity in several Scandinavian regions,” he said. “It proves the need for diversification among smaller agencies.”
And the model works. “MedGDS offers a 20% commission on treatments, while agencies maintain control over flights, accommodation, and other travel components,” said So. “It’s high-value ancillary revenue with minimal disruption to their core business.”
So is also quick to note that MedGDS isn’t just about inventory; it’s about insight. “Thanks to our B2C model, we’ve identified high-potential treatment doors,” he said. “From China to Japan for luxury health check-ups and stem cell therapy, and from Scandinavia to Turkey for hair transplants, among many others.”
Quality over quantity
Running a medical tourism network across borders is no small feat. But So and his team have kept standards at the core of their growth. “MedGDS now spans a robust global network and quality remains our top priority,” he said.
Here’s a glimpse of the current scale:
- Treatment Rooms: 5,031
- Beds: 9,364
- Doctors: 5,086
- Operating Theatres: 598
- CT Scans: 94
- MRIs: 57
- PET-CTs: 35
- Laboratories: 43
“To safeguard standards, we’ve committed a significant portion of our budget to compliance,” So emphasises. “We work with a reputable Malaysian legal firm to establish rigorous protocols that guide how institutions are assessed, onboarded, and contracted.” Medical tourism often faces scrutiny around risk but So sees this as a misplaced perception. “The travel industry has long offered high-risk leisure activities, from scuba diving to adventure excursions,” he said. “Yet when it comes to medical tourism, the dialogue around risk tends to emerge more strongly.”
Now, Trambellir is setting out to change that. “Wellness and medical-related services often operate with greater oversight and have significantly lower incident rates,” he said. “It’s time to shift the narrative.”
Trambellir’s So Iizuka presenting at WiT Japan last year
Japan expansion has to be strategic, scalable and seamless
Trambellir’s biggest moves right now are in Japan. “Japan is known by many and continues to rise as a global destination,” said So. “But wellness travel there is still underserved. So, we see this as a strategic gap we’re uniquely positioned to fill.” That includes white-label partnerships like the one with Inbound Platform Corp. “We’re proud to be the only treatment booking platform offering extensive white-labelling and API integration capabilities,” he said.
These plug-and-play models are designed to help others, not just Trambellir. “We’re not just positioning ourselves in Japan, but worldwide,” So said. “We’re helping others reposition themselves, turning medical travel into a scalable, sustainable growth engine for related industries.”
One of the most exciting developments is the tie-up with Tokyo Midtown Clinic and Nihonbashi Muromachi Mitsui Tower Clinic. “These institutions have long served Japan’s high-net-worth individuals with premium health check-ups,” So said. “Now, for the first time, they are opening their doors to international travellers.” And demand is already coming in. “Affluent travellers in China and Southeast Asia are actively seeking high-quality medical check-ups abroad,” he said. “We’re not just creating a new growth avenue, we’re elevating the standard of medical tourism itself.”
The collaboration with Savor Japan, meanwhile, adds a new layer of experience. “It’s Savor Japan that’s adopting our wellness products within their platform,” said So. “This is exactly the kind of partnership we seek: aligning with established travel platforms and expanding their product mix.”
From travel tech to global wellness infrastructure
What sets Trambellir apart in a crowded space? So has a clear answer: “While most existing players operate purely from a healthcare standpoint, we bring a travel-first mindset,” he said. “We’re reimagining the way people access medical and wellness services across borders.” With MedGDS and white-label platforms, the goal is to democratise medical tourism. “For me, this is not just innovation, it’s inclusion,” said So. “It’s how we’re building toward a future where medical tourism is democratised and accessible by design.”
For the future, So sees Trambellir evolving into something far more ambitious. “We’re building global wellness infrastructure,” he said. “We don’t manage generic travel products. Instead, we operate as an indirect global orchestrator of medical and wellness institutions.” And yes, he’s inspired by Airbnb. “Our model echoes what Airbnb achieved in hospitality, managing scale and experience without owning the underlying assets,” he said.
The long-term play? Branded wellness hubs around the world. That doesn’t mean they’ll start owning clinics – instead, they’ll become the connective tissue. “We’ll utilise our brand as a property management company, curating care through collaboration with trusted institutions.” That includes potential wellness malls and medical campuses in cities like Tokyo, Dubai, and São Paulo. “Through that network, we are convinced that it will have a huge impact not only on the travel industry but also on the healthcare industry,” said So.
“We’ve always believed that building something lasting takes patience and conviction,” he said. “Without VC pressure, we’ve had the freedom to prioritise purpose over shortcuts, and I’m proud of the path we’ve chosen.”
