Amref Health Africa proudly presents its “Innovative Six 2018”: The six African startups that have been selected to join the Innovate for Life Fund Accelerator programme this year. The startups have been selected out of over 300 applications coming from all over Sub-Saharan Africa.
The selected ventures are
Baby Grubz is a social enterprise which empowers women financially through the distribution and sales of our unique baby food products which are targeted against malnutrition in the African child and they are 100% natural, African inspired, low cost and nutrient dense. We have a huge potential. Baby Grubz has grown from an initial investment of $10 to $25,000 within 3 years as well has scaled from Nigeria into 3 other West African countries.
Baobab Circle is an African grown health technology company creating health solution for the Africa. We use AI and behavioural science to provide personalized management of NCDs through remote monitoring and health education. Recently we’ve expanded to include COVID-19. In addition, we have developed a triage tool to track symptoms. Finally, and potentially of greatest importance, we have expanded the capability of our Ask a Dr SMS messaging service to include voice and video calls. Allowing patients and physicians to perform consultations while respecting nationwide stay at home orders.
JOELEX makes water, sanitation accessible and affordable for the urban poor in Kampala, Uganda by building and operating toilets, showers and then safely disposing off the waste collected by turning it into cleaner-burning charcoal briquettes used as cooking energy within slums and markets.
Ujuzi Fursa Africa – “ Skills for Opportunities “ is a social enterprise set up to align with three of the global sustainable development goals (sdg) to transform our world.
1 – Quality Education for All
2 – Good Health and Well Being
3 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
The world is changing so fast every day. Our global population is growing but the world is getting smaller. More sophisticated waste is produced in 2022 than it did in 2015, on Tuesday than it did on Monday. This acceleration is undeniable, adaptability is not a luxury and waste burden is not our portion.
WASTiNNOVA is where waste management change. We bring together daring innovators, to bring sustainable solutions. We are active in the halls of hospitals, on the streets of our communities and back ends where waste is found. We are not witnesses to change, we accelerate change. Because we see a better world that you also would like to be part of. We provide specialized waste services to clinics, constructions companies, and industries. We use digital tools to encourage proper waste management as well as replacement of burning and increased recycling.
All of the start up ventures are developing an innovative solution to improve health care in Africa and with their African-driven leadership.
This year’s innovative solutions are highly diverse and include: a “Crib A ‘glow” Phototherapy Unit, a device used for the treatment of neonatal jaundice in newborn babies; a diabetes and hypertension self-management app; a digital hospital waste management system; a health workforce development centre; and, highly nutritious baby food from local produce.
Five-month accelerator programme
The Innovative Six 2018 vetting process was conducted by a health panel and a selection committee, consisting of African health care stakeholders and key investors in African ventures. Through Innovate for Life’s five-month accelerator programme, specifically designed for the African health context, the six entrepreneurs will be embedded in the Amref Health Africa organisation.
Dr Charles Akhimien, a founder of Nigerian-based MOBicure, was among the first six entrepreneurs to take part in the Innovate for Life Fund programme when it launched in 2017.
“The Innovate for Life Fund is unique because it is the only programme specific for African startups in the health sector and it offers unrivalled knowledge of the health ecosystem and business coaching to help health startups achieve scale faster.” Dr. Charles Akhimien, MOBicure
Through his experience in the Innovate for Life Fund programme, Charles has been able to increase the number of users on MOBicure’s OMOMi (maternal and child health) app to 40,000 and onboard its first set of paying customers on OMOMi’s Chat with a doctor service.
Second year
Now in its second year, the Innovate for Life Fund aims to support African entrepreneurs to accelerate home-grown health solutions for the African market. Amref Health Africa believes that African-based, local innovations, with the realities of each country and each community embedded at their core, are vital for lasting health solutions.
“Local entrepreneurs know all ins and outs of the market and therefore their solutions are often very appropriate and sustainable. Local solutions for local challenges is in the DNA of Amref Health Africa, which makes the Innovate for Life Fund programme such a good fit. For over 60 years we have partnered with communities and governments to improve health in Africa. This experience is invaluable for entrepreneurs.” Dr.Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa.
The Innovate for Life Fund is supported by the Elsevier Foundation. “The Innovate for Life Fund has proven how critical an African health tech accelerator is, bridging a very real gap between brilliant ideas and investors in Africa.” said Ylann Schemm, Director of the Elsevier Foundation. “The 2018 cohort of entrepreneurs will further stimulate tech-driven health solutions for and by Africans.”