2025 HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA) Accelerator Program

Background

Sub-Saharan Africa bears 24% of the global burden of disease but has just 3% of the global health workforce. Limited healthcare resources and financing hinder access to high-quality healthcare services for all citizens. Disruptive tech-enabled models of care and data-driven optimization of health systems will be required to overcome these disparities. The region is experiencing a rapid growth of entrepreneurial innovation, with exciting examples ranging from virtual health assistants to drone delivery of medical supplies.

HealthTech Hub Africa (HTHA) is a hybrid pan-African healthtech accelerator with a physical co-working space in Kigali, Rwanda. Founded by the Novartis Foundation and supported by the Global Fund and the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, HTHA aims to address health challenges by actively integrating innovations into public health systems through collaboration with key government stakeholders. Implemented by Jhpiego and Villgro Africa, the accelerator aims to offer entrepreneurs a powerful platform to create sustainable businesses and meaningful health impact.

Participating startups will engage in the 2025 HealthTech Hub Africa Accelerator Program. This program assists in validating solutions, accelerating growth, and facilitating connections with the right partners and contributors in the healthtech sector and within public health systems.

Who should apply?

For the 2025 cohort, we are looking for ventures from across Africa with innovative solutions (including hardware, software, data analytics and AI solutions, biotech, etc.) and business models allowing for collaboration with local and national governments and aiming to solve health challenges and/or support public health systems in their digital transformation.

Applicants will be evaluated on their potential to successfully address challenges in one or more of the four thematic categories of focus for the Hub, their product excellence, team, fit-to-market, and model for sustainability and scalability with the public health system.

In 2025, the Healthtech Hub Africa is seeking African health tech companies to apply their innovative solutions across the following thematic categories:

1. Virtual Health: Proactive and Preventive Health Management

Solutions that empower individuals and communities to proactively manage health and prevent illness. We are interested in:

• Health and wellness technologies, including lifestyle, self-care and personalized medicine solutions for preventing e.g., cardiovascular disease
• Public health education and awareness solutions
• Technologies supporting pharmacies and community health workers
• Disease surveillance and contact tracing technologies

2. Virtual Care: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of Health Conditions

Technologies that enhance access to and quality of care for diagnosing, managing, and treating medical conditions. Areas of focus include:

• Screening and early detection innovations, including AI-enabled diagnostics
• Telemedicine and remote patient monitoring
• Patient engagement and adherence solutions
• Integrated, patient-centered care and client-reported outcomes tracking

Noting the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Africa, solutions addressing cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer are strongly encouraged to apply.

3. Data-Driven Decision-Making for Health Systems

Solutions that harness data to inform decisions, streamline processes, and strengthen health systems. We seek:

• Electronic health records, AI transcription and data management solutions
• Clinical decision support technologies
• Advanced analytics solutions
• Data infrastructure and interoperability
• Solutions for health systems strengthening, including health financing, supply chain management, referral networks, emergency transport, health workforce optimization and quality assurance/improvement

4. Climate and Health: Addressing Climate-Driven Health Challenges

Solutions that help mitigate and respond to the human health impacts of climate change, with a focus on building resilience in vulnerable communities. We are seeking innovations in:

• Surveillance and mapping solutions to prepare for and respond to outbreaks and/or extreme weather e.g., flooding, drought
• Solutions ensuring continuity of healthcare services during and after extreme weather
• Health interventions targeting resilience of populations affected by climate-related displacement and/or food and nutrition insecurity
• Climate-resilient health supply chain solutions and/or mitigating the greenhouse gas emissions of health supply chains
• Climate and health data integration, use, and/or training, including climate information services (e.g. weather data) that inform climate-sensitive disease prediction and early warning systems
• Heat, air quality and environmental exposure monitoring

Eligibility Criteria

– African registered
– Team: at least 2 full-time members with at least one founder who is an African national or permanent resident of an African country
– Aligned with one of more of the four HealthTech Hub Africa thematic categories
– Post-revenue / seed stage
– In operation for at least one year
– Already working or intending to work with the public (i.e. government) health sector, alongside other private sector business models

What we offer

Participation in an 8-month Accelerator Program, which includes:

• Access to office and meeting space at Norrsken House, Kigali
• Eligibility for exclusive funding opportunities throughout the year and as a HealthTech Hub Africa alum
• Diagnostic panels, expert masterclasses and self-paced online content
• Dedicated mentorship from industry experts in population health and technology
• Public speaking and pitch practice sessions
• Investment readiness support and access to HealthTech Hub Africa’s Investor Circle
• Community support, peer learning and collaboration opportunities
• Networking meetups and hybrid events in Kigali and across Africa
• Opportunities to attend and pitch during the annual HealthTech Hub Africa Investor Summit
• Opportunities to engage with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies involved in healthtech
• Support to understand national digital health strategies and roadmaps and to develop public-private partnerships
• Introduction to digital interoperability standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR, Open HIE, WHO SMART Guidelines)
• Access to the testing environment of the HealthTech Hub Africa Standards & Interoperability Lab to support public sector integration
• Access to opportunities provided by the HealthTech Hub Africa partner network, including startup awards, research opportunities and funding opportunities