Telemedicine dominates recent funding

From the newsletter

In March, the most visible healthcare venture funding in Africa was directed towards telemedicine companies, highlighting their essential role in climate health adaptation. Each of the four funded companies received undisclosed amounts ranging from $100K to $500K. These companies operate in multiple languages: Chefaa and Weyak cater to Arabic-speaking users, Purelife Pharmacy operates in English, and Eyone serves French-speaking communities.

• Egypt benefited from funding for two companies, Chefaa and Weyak, while Eyone in Senegal and Purelife in Nigeria represent West Africa. Notably, East and Southern Africa were absent from this funding wave in March.

• Eyone streamlines healthcare in Senegal by utilising digital records, PureLife provides telehealth and pharmacy services in Nigeria, Shifaa ensures prompt medication delivery in Egypt, and Weyak assists chronic illness patients with home consultations and medical discounts.

More details

• The Alibaba Foundation has awarded grants to Eyone, PureLife, and Chefaa, while Wayak has secured seed funding from Launch Africa. Notably, PureLife and Chefaa stand out with female CEOs and all-women founding teams, highlighting a strong presence of women in digital healthcare leadership.

• Eyone Medical, based in Senegal, enhances medical interoperability by connecting patients, healthcare providers, insurers, and governments in real time. The platform boasts over 850 healthcare providers, 30 medical specialties, and 1 million registered patients.

• Patients utilise the Medical Passport app to manage appointments, track medical histories, and securely share documents. Hospitals benefit from automated tools for patient management, billing, and administration. Insurance companies can digitise contracts, claims, and reporting through Eyassur, thereby improving efficiency. 

• PureLife Health in Nigeria offers telehealth consultations, lab tests, vaccinations, and an extensive online pharmacy. With over 100,000 approved healthcare products and 8,000 verified lab results, PureLife has partnered with over 30 leading health providers, including Leadway Health and Reddington Hospital.

• Patients can easily consult top-rated doctors, book lab tests, or schedule home care services. The platform allows users to browse specialists, book appointments, and receive doorstep medical care. Additionally, it facilitates seamless ordering and delivery of pharmaceuticals and enables patients to report adverse drug reactions.

• Shifaa, a pharmacy platform in Egypt, provides fast, secure, and licensed medication delivery. Customers can order prescription and over-the-counter drugs from over 1,000 licensed pharmacies, with instant delivery available within 90 minutes across 25 cities.

• The platform offers over 41,000 licensed pharmaceutical products, including medications, vitamins, supplements, skincare, mother and child essentials, sexual health products, and even pet supplies. Customers can consult pharmacists 24/7 for expert advice.

• Weyak serves over 100,000 customers across Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, and Mansoura, with a mission to simplify healthcare services and reduce costs for patients with chronic illnesses. It provides home consultations, medication delivery, and exclusive discounts at leading hospitals, laboratories, and radiology centres.

• Weyak also offers electronic medical records that store patients’ health histories and provide personalised recommendations from certified doctors. The platform was inspired by a personal experience in 2016 when the founder's mother struggled to manage chronic illnesses due to high costs, long wait times, and fragmented care. Weyak was launched to support those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, and cancer.

Our take

• Approximately 52% of Africans, or around 615 million people, lack access to essential healthcare, and the quality of services is often subpar, according to a report on Africa's progress towards achieving universal health coverage. Climate change is exacerbating this issue.

• By 2025, 50% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population is expected to have mobile subscriptions, an increase from 44% in 2023, according to the GSMA’s latest Mobile Economy report released at Mobile 360 – Africa.

• The solution is right in front of us. Telehealth has the potential to be a vital lifeline in Africa, connecting patients to doctors through mobile devices via direct calls, SMS, and video calls.