HotDoc founder Ben Hurst is stepping back from leading the company after 14 years, with AirTree Ventures operating principal David Parfett appointed acting CEO as the healthcare marketplace enters its next phase of growth.
The leadership transition follows Potentia Capital’s acquisition of HotDoc in February 2026 through what the company described as a “highly competitive sale process.”
Potentia, together with long-term investor AirTree Ventures and Geoff Sayer through Acclivis, said it remained committed to growing the business.
Mr Parfett has served on the HotDoc board for several years and will lead the company as acting CEO while a permanent chief executive is sought.
In a statement provided to Pulse+IT, the company said the transition was intended to “accelerate execution and support continued investment in growth opportunities,” with Australia continuing to face strong demand for improved access to primary healthcare.
It noted that HotDoc had grown into a key healthcare marketplace, used by around 14 million Australians and 25,000 GPs as a way to connect patients with clinics and healthcare providers.
The platform would continue to expand its services – including on-demand telehealth, in response to growing demand for timely access to care.
Mr Hurst said HotDoc had been his life’s work since its founding.
“When I created HotDoc I set out to fix real accessibility problems faced by GPs and patients, and this business has been my life’s work ever since,” he said.
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built and grateful to the millions of Australians and thousands of GPs who have trusted HotDoc along the way. I’m excited to stay closely involved as HotDoc enters its next growth chapter.”
Potentia Capital investment director Lachlan Kennedy said the company was well positioned for its next stage of growth.
“Ben has built an exceptional Australian technology company with a genuine purpose – it is amazing what he has achieved over the past 14 years,” Mr Kennedy said.
“Potentia is excited for HotDoc’s next stage of growth, which will support more Australian GPs and their patients. We believe HotDoc has the potential to become one of Australia’s defining healthcare technology companies.”
Mr Parfett said his priority would be maintaining continuity while the search for a permanent CEO takes place.
“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Ben over the past three years and I have an enormous amount of respect for what he and the team have built and the mission behind it,” he said.
“My focus over this period is to maintain continuity and momentum for the HotDoc team and customers while we find the right CEO for the next chapter to continue building from Ben’s legacy.”
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