Tag: african startup

Afia Pharma: Makes medecine more affordable and easly accessible to billions people accros africa

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Papy Biganza is a Rwandan entrepreneur, who is striving to revolutionize the traditional pharmaceutical industry in Africa. He has been working in the e-commerce sector since 2014 and is currently the CEO of Afia Pharma which operates in the E-health sector.

What is the story behind your startup? 

I had a grandfather, who lived in a rural place alone , in 2019,died of asthma. One of the main reasons was because the medicine was so expensive and he couldn’t get easily to the city to purchase medications. 

Who are your target customers, and what problem are you solving?

Our target market is patient because we are dealing with challenges such as High Cost: Prices in private pharmacies were twice as high as they were in public pharmacies (median price ratios = 1.99). in addition to inaccessibility, there’s also: 25 percent of Rwanda’s 417 pharmacies serve a rural population of 10 million people.

犀利士

What are your challenges?

The startup does not own a proprietary stock. It obtains supplies on order from a pharmaceutical depot for any order greater than $10 (minimum purchase amount authorized at the level of this depot), and from local pharmacies for orders of an amount less than $10. In the latter case, the margin made on the sale is zero. The drug is then resold at the purchase price

What is your vision for your startup? What does success look like?

The African pharmaceutical market is worth approximately $40 billion dollars, and Afia pharma’s ambition is to acquire 5% of that in the next five years.

Why did you apply for NHA? Why NHA and not another accelerator? 

We anticipated that with the mentoring and professional connections provided by Next Health Accelerator, as well as initial capital, Afia pharma would be able to increase in size and value while scaling up more quickly.

What were your expectations, and how was your experience with the program so far?  

We were able to find the strategic difficulties we’ve been dealing with so far and precisely outline our customer journey thanks to the Office Hours session.

Have you met someone who inspires you since participating in NHA?

Senam Beheton’s personality and enthusiasm for entrepreneurship have truly inspired me. 

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I’d make medicine more affordable, accessible, and available to Africa’s billions of people.

Do you have any last comment or advice you would like to share with your fellow entrepreneurs?  

Start small and think big

MaiSoin, easy home care for all!

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MaiSoin’s mission is to provide each patient with an easy and pleasant digital health journey. The Ivorian social enterprise offers a web and mobile platform that simplifies contact between patients and health professionals while collecting data to improve decision-making and the effectiveness of public health interventions. Being part of the NHA program was an opportunity for the startup to be in contact with professionals who are passionate about health issues and can help them achieve their goals.

Please introduce yourself

MaiSoin

My name is Dédé Zeinabou Cissé, co-founder and CEO of MaiSoin. I am a specialist in public health, health unit management and health policy.

What is the story behind your startup?

My partner, Mario Romero, and I have a combined 15 years of experience working with international NGOs in implementing community-based public health projects. We met while working in Chad on the world’s largest active epidemiological surveillance program for Guinea worm eradication. 

From our different experiences, we learned that often small changes can positively influence access to health care for populations. Thus, we have become passionate about concrete and modern solutions that allow better access to health care for the population.

Who are your target customers ?

Today, to consult a health professional in Abidjan, it is common to wait two hours in the waiting room of a private clinic. In public institutions, the wait is even longer. This is due to the fact that the majority of health facilities in the city refuse to give patients specific appointments. The medical secretaries simply tell the patients the time slot during which the healthcare professional is present at the clinic.

The patient comes to the clinic and consultations are held in order of arrival. The existing system creates long waits and discourages many people from attending health centers. With MaiSoin, we target people who need to see a healthcare professional in Abidjan without having to waste time in a waiting room.

What are your challenges?

Currently our biggest challenge is to increase the awareness of our existing solutions so that people who need our services know that we exist.

What is your vision for your startup? What does success look like?

We consider ourselves successful if we can increase the number of people accessing the preventive health services they need: whether at home, online or in the clinic. Our vision is to reduce existing barriers to improve access to health for populations.

Why did you apply for NHA? Why NHA and not another accelerator?

Next Health Accelerator presented itself to us as an interesting opportunity to be in contact with professionals who are passionate about the same things we are and want to help us achieve our goals. So it was an easy decision for us.

What were your expectations, and how was your experience with the program so far?

Having participated in other programs, we were certain that we wanted to join an acceleration program that adapts to the needs of the startups that participate and, above all, that has flexibility in terms of interactions and interventions.

Have you met someone who inspires you since participating in NHA?

The program was punctuated by several great meetings, both with founders of other startups and with the NHA team.

What significant progress have you made in your business since joining NHA?

Joining the NHA program allowed us to refine our market research and reorient our strategy. We were also able to add a brand new service to our offer.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I would like to see anyone in need of medical attention have access to the quality care they need immediately, and that never again does a woman die in childbirth due to lack of care or inadequate management, leaving behind an orphaned baby. 

Next Health Accelerator alum Rocket Health completes $5M Series A

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When Ugandan startup Rocket Health joined Next Health Accelerator (NHA) in March 2021, it was looking to increase its sexual and reproductive health service offering, expand geographically, continually enhance provider quality, become investor ready, and identify investment partners. Rocket Health was an ambitious and focused startup striving to increase its health and wellness impact, which is what attracted Next Health Accelerator to the company.

Launched in 2012, Rocket Health operates a 24/7 telehealth consultation, sample collection, and medicine delivery service that began in Uganda but is now poised to expand across East Africa. Of particular importance is its ability to offer convenient access to quality and reliable sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, tests, and medicines in a discreet manner aligned with patient preferences.  Co-founder and Director of Pharmacy Services at Rocket Health, Hope Achiro explained, “We applied for the NHA program because we wanted to see growth, especially in our sexual and reproductive health service offering, which is what NHA specifically focuses on and (so far) it’s really been exciting. We’ve learned a lot.”

Rocket Health

Rocket Health’s STI/UTI screenings are the most ordered laboratory services, and family planning items (specifically emergency contraception and condoms) are the most ordered pharmacy items.  In its first four months in NHA, Rocket Health conducted over 1,100 SRH teleconsultations, completed over 2,100 SRH laboratory services, and provided over 350 SRH pharmacy products, demonstrating the demand for such services and the potential impact of Rocket Health on sexual and reproductive health across the continent.

Upon selecting Rocket Health to participate in the Next Health Accelerator, co-founders Senam Beheton and Lindsey Simmonds saw early potential. Senam said, “I was particularly impressed by their focus and clear understanding of what they wanted to accomplish in terms of growth for Rocket Health. They equally knew what they wanted from NHA and that was very helpful.” Lindsey continued, “In terms of Sexual and Reproductive Health, we particularly wanted to support the atypical way in which Rocket Health increased access, giving their clients more agency and more confidentiality through telemedicine.”

The bilingual (English and French) Next Health Accelerator recruits female/co-led African startups innovating in the health tech space with a focus on sexual and reproductive health. NHA provides business fundamentals, bespoke support, international mentorship, seed funding and value chain access.

Having started their fundraising campaign while participating in the NHA program, Rocket Health requested introductions to investors as well assistance with investment readiness aspects. The NHA team was able to develop an extensive investors’ mapping, a few soft introductions, and work with the Rocket Health team to improve its deck and fund parts of its ambitious expansion and growth 樂威壯 plan.

“We are so proud of the Rocket Health team for pulling off this fundraising with investors such as Creadev, Grenfell Holdings and LoftyInc Capital Management, and closing the round with $5 million in such a short time” said Awa Sarr, NHA Manager.

Reflecting on his experience at NHA, Dr. Davis Musinguzi, co-founder, and CEO of Rocket Health, says that he received “great constructive feedback on gaps and opportunities to scale the business and      deep engagement to get to the next level.” Dr. Musinguzi and team plan to spend the next two years scaling across East Africa and pursuing growth opportunities in West Africa in the long term. As it does for all its alumni, NHA will be there to provide support along the journey.

Girls’ Pride : social company that provides menstrual hygiene solutions to women in Gambia

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Fatoumatta Kassama is an independent nurse. She has nine years of experience as a nurse in the Gambia and spent seven years working for the Ministry of Health in The Gambia in various health facilities. Apart from her professional activity, Fatoumatta is a dedicated social entrepreneur and leader. She has founded and co-founded several businesses and NGOs: Eye Care For ALL; Prospect For Girls; Girl’s Pride. She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow; OPEC Fund for International Development Fellow, Obama Foundation Country Lead; Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, TAF-Africa Start-up Foundation Entrepreneur, Social Innovation Warehouse Ambassador, Obama Foundation National Service Projects Manager and Vice President of the National Association of Gambian Nurses and Midwives.
Since 2017, she has led the startup Girl’s Pride, which provides menstrual hygiene solutions to women in The Gambia.

What is the story behind your start-up?

Girls' Pride

I started Girls’ Pride in 2017 as a result of period poverty affecting girls’ education in The Gambia. Growing up, I had no one to buy pads for me during my period or teach me on how to take care of myself as such i missed 3-4 days from school every month and suffered unhealthy period management practices. When I started working as a registered nurse in 2012, I noticed that the same problem I experienced in 2002 is still affecting girls in my country. I learned about reusable sanitary pads in 2017 during the Mandela Washington Fellowship so I did my research on reusable sanitary products and then decided to start Girls’ Pride to address period poverty in The Gambia.

Who are your target customers, and what problem are you solving?

My target customers are women and girls of reproductive age. NGOs, Community-Based Organizations, and businesses are also my customers. Girls’ Pride is working to address period poverty in The Gambia.

What are your challenges?

Our main challenge is financial. Then come the material and human challenges. Indeed, we need to identify a reliable, affordable and fast method of sourcing raw materials in China. Also, our target customers are from low-income families. They cannot afford our pads and must rely on donors. Finally, our current production method is very labor-intensive and time-consuming, making it difficult for us to keep our tailors. 

What is your vision for your start-up? What does success look like?

Our vision is to provide access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and healthy menstrual hygiene products through innovation.

Success for me would be: Gambian women and girls no longer have problems related to menstrual health and hygiene management.

Girls' Pride

Why did you apply for NHA? Why NHA and not another accelerator?

Next Health Accelerator (NHA) is the first entrepreneurship program i came across so far that focuses only on SRH in Africa. Other programs have different entrepreneurs working on different things so you hardly find someone who works in the same sector, who can support you, inspire you or someone who shares the same challenges with you.

What were your expectations, and how was your experience with the program so far?

By joining the Next Health Accelerator program my expectations were to gain new entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and experiences; learn from trainers, mentors and fellow entrepreneurs; expand my network; get financial support to offer a better product to my clients and access other opportunities.

My experience is pretty good. I have achieved 90% of my expectations and I am looking forward to achieving all expectations.

Have you met someone who inspires you since participating in NHA?

My best meeting during the program was Dr. Karima Ladhani who inspired me a lot.

What significant progress have you made in your business since joining NHA?

Through NHA, i was able to work on my acceleration plan with the help of experts. I discovered that my current business model is not sustainable with the COVID-19 crisis and was able to identify an alternative business model that is sustainable and through which I can generate revenue and achieve my goals.

If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?

I would make sanitary products free for all menstruators regardless of their age, educational level, socio-economic background, religion, race, and disability.

Do you have any last comment or advice you would like to share with your fellow entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey especially when you want to address social issues along so we should not give up. Lots of challenges lie ahead of us as we scale up or business but with passion and teamwork, we can achieve our mission.

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