Medical booking site ZocDoc valued at $1.8bn

ZocDoc, a startup allowing consumers to book appointments with medical professionals, said Thursday it raised $130 million in a funding round, giving it a valuation of $1.8 billion.

"Since our inception, we've been working to lead the healthcare experience into the digital age, and this funding will help us continue to deliver on our mission to give power to the patient," said ZocDoc founder and chief executive Cyrus Massoumi in a statement.

"The fragmented healthcare space has produced too many broken systems that get in the way of good care. We aim to be the digital center of care that delivers the simple, seamless healthcare experience patients expect and deserve."

The funding round was led by investment firms Baillie Gifford and Atomico, and included participation from existing investor Founders Fund.

According to the statement, ZocDoc is among leaders in a digital health sector which has attracted $2.1 billion in private funding so far this year.

ZocDoc operates across the United States and covers an area with more than 60 percent of the US population.

It offers online bookings, reviews and other services to connect consumers with thousands of medical professionals.

According to a statement from the New York-based firm, the funding will support ZocDoc's continued growth and innovation and allow it to develop additional services beyond scheduling.

These services will be "focused on solving patient problems and facilitating even more patient interactions within the healthcare ecosystem," it said.