2016 was the perfect time to found a tele-health startup. Though it’s unlikely that the three Co-founders of Dialogue (Alexis Smirnov, Anna Chif, and Cherif Habib) foresaw the onset of Covid-19, it certainly hasn’t hurt demand for their company’s services. Today, it announced yet another raise, this time a whopping $43 million Series B+, which was led by a $32.7 investment from Sun Life. This round also included investments by existing backers CDPQ, Portag3 Ventures, White Star Capital, HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, First Ascent Ventures and Walter Ventures.

This brings the total funding for dialogue so far to an incredible $99 million in just four years.

“Virtual care will remain an essential resource now and in the future,” said Cherif Habib, CEO of Dialogue. “While we navigate the changing health care landscape, Dialogue is proud to provide a virtual health care service that is easy, convenient and helps keep Canadians safe at home. Having strong support from partners such as Sun Life allows us to remain focused on providing quality care and expanding our services to help millions of Canadians stay healthy.”

For Sun Life, the investment follows an initial partnership with Dialogue announced earlier this year. Lumino Health Virtual Care offers Sun’s group benefits clients free access to virtual health care services with an extended health care benefit. It turns out they were on to something.

“The need for Canadians to have alternative ways to access health care continues to grow,” said Dave Jones, Senior Vice-President, Group Benefits, Sun Life Canada. “Virtual care is an important part of the future of Canadian health care. The combination of innovative technology and the necessity of social distancing during the pandemic has rapidly changed the virtual health care landscape. Our investment in Dialogue represents Sun Life’s commitment to helping Canadians live healthier lives through access to health care, whenever and wherever they need it. This investment is our next step, as we continue to innovate for our clients and empower them to manage their health and well-being.”