Africa Health Ventures #14: Necessity is the Mother of Invention
How entrepreneurs are responding to the disappearance of aid
It’s been 4 weeks since the stop-work order was issued to USAID and the bottom fell out of the global health industry. No continent has felt the blow more than Africa.
We don’t know how this is going to end. The changes have been blocked and unblocked as they make their way through America’s judicial system. Beyond USAID, the Trump administration calls into question America’s role as the largest donor not just to the WHO, but also the Global Fund, the World Bank, UNICEF and other UN agencies who have invested billions more into healthcare in Africa. The repercussions for the healthcare industry here are severe.
What will healthcare in Africa look like on the other side of this transition? It’s too soon to say, but we are starting to see glimpses in the response of governments, civil society, and the private sector. Here are a few snapshots from our corner of the world:
Yesterday the healthtech company Maisha Meds partnered with Lagos State to implement a malaria prevention program that leverages technology and financing to eliminate malaria more efficiently. At the same time, the government of Nigeria is mobilising domestic resources to sustain its HIV progress. Plans were already in place for Nigeria to take on domestic manufacturing of HIV drugs by the end of 2025 and these are accelerating. Nigerian companies like WellaHealth are exploring whether HIV care and medicines can be delivered more efficiently when better integrated with other health programs less reliant on aid. Companies like Field Intelligence and Remedial Health continue to deliver essential medicines despite the pause of the $10 billion USAID supply chain program.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and the need today is acute. Healthcare entrepreneurs and innovators play a unique role because they can respond quickly and innovate rapidly in the dynamic market created by the drop in foreign aid.
What other innovations will allow us to deliver more with less? We’re on the lookout.
If someone forwarded you this email, subscribe to get future editions every month in your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time, and we don’t share your email with anyone.
Read on to learn about 7 foundations, 16 opportunities, 8 deals, and 11 events relevant to healthcare founders in Africa.
Foundations Responding to the Global Health Cuts
If you’ve been affected by the USAID cuts, here are 7 funds and organizations rising to address the gap:
Open Road Alliance provides 0% bridge financing to companies directly affected by USAID cuts
Founders Pledge in partnership with The Life You Can Save is expanding its Global Health & Development Fund
MacArthur Foundation has increased its grantmaking by $150 million over the next 2 years
The Stop TB Partnership has launched a bridge fund aims to support over 130 local TB organizations in 38 countries affected by foreign aid suspensions
GlobalGiving launched emergency fundraising to support grassroots organizations impacted by the aid freeze
NEAR’s Change Fund provides flexible, trust-based grants to its members significantly impacted by this funding freeze
Foreign Aid Bridge Fund provides emergency financial support to high-impact frontline organizations affected by the U.S. government's 90-day foreign aid suspension
Deals
A rundown of the major deals and funding that went to healthcare ventures and investors in Africa this past month
🏥 EHA Clinics has secured a $2 million equity investment from eha Impact Ventures to expand its healthcare services across Nigeria. The funding will support the opening of three new clinics, the extension of clinical service lines, and community outreach programs reaching an additional 20,000 people annually.
👓 LNKO has secured an undisclosed equity investment from Egypt-based Beltone Venture Capital to fuel its expansion across Africa. The Moroccan startup offers affordable eyewear through a digitized value chain, serving over 100,000 customers with 10 retail stores in Morocco and an online presence spanning 24 countries.
💊 Medikea has received $200K from Madica as part of their startup support program. The Tanzanian healthtech platform helps pharmacies manage their inventory and operations while connecting them to verified pharmaceutical distributors.
🤰 Motherbeing also closed $200K from Madica's startup program. The Egyptian femtech company provides virtual and in-person healthcare services tailored towards the unique needs of Arab women.
🚓 RapidDeploy has been acquired by Motorola Solutions for an undisclosed amount. The South Africa-founded company provides cloud-native 911 solutions, including real-time call location mapping and analytics, to enhance emergency response and decision-making.
IPAE 3 Fund, managed by Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P), has received a €15 million investment from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support entrepreneurship in West Africa and Madagascar in sectors such as health, nutrition, and agriculture. I&P is an investor in Lapaire.
P1 Ventures has successfully closed its first institutional fund at $50 million, investing in early-stage startups across Africa. P1 is an investor in Yodawy.
Saviu Ventures has reached the second close of its second fund, Saviu II, at €25 million, investing in early-stage tech and tech-enabled startups across Francophone Africa, targeting sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, climate tech, and e-commerce. Saviu is an investor in Waspito.
Opportunities
Ongoing: Africa Health Ventures makes equity investments into seed-stage healthtech startups in Africa that will dramatically improve access and quality of healthcare on the continent and around the world. Apply on the website.
Due March 11: The 54th Pitch – Empowering African Founders for Growth offers grants of up to $2,500 for SMEs and interest-free loans of up to $10,000. This opportunity supports African entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses with funding and mentorship.
Due March 12: GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI is offering between £100,000 and £250,000 in grant funding for startups and SMEs using AI to drive positive social or environmental impact in low- and middle-income countries.
Due March 17: Africa Oxford Health Innovation Programme invites African healthcare innovators to apply for a 4-month accelerator program that provides training, mentorship and networking opportunities to develop solutions addressing local health challenges.
Due March 17: Innovest Ignite Accelerator in Accra is an 8-week accelerator offering up to 50K in equity funding
Due March 20: BIC Africa Acceleration Programme is looking for women entrepreneurs from Sub-Saharan Africa tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being.
Due March 25: Multiple Global Grand Challenges from the Gates Foundation are due in March with awards ranging from $100K to $500K. The challenges solicit solutions for a variety of topics including innovative data models for women’s health and tackling high-risk pregnancies.
Due March 29: Inclusive Action Awards – Global 2025 celebrates small and medium enterprises (SMEs) advancing gender inclusion in emerging economies. Winners receive a $5,000 USD cash prize. More valuable than the prize will be the exposure to forward-thinking, gender-inclusive investors.
Due April 8: Wellcome Discovery Awards provide flexible funding for researchers tackling bold and innovative ideas in health-related sciences. The average award size is £3.5 million over 7 years.
Due April 8: TractionBoost Accelerator is a 2-month intensive program designed for early-stage startups focused on product testing and customer acquisition. Selected startups receive tailored funding between $2,000 and $5,000 USD, access to industry-leading mentors, and networking opportunities with potential investors.
Due Apr 17: MIT Solve 2025 Global Health Challenge is seeking innovative solutions to improve health outcomes worldwide. Selected teams receive at least $10,000 in funding, with the potential for additional prize funding and support from the Solve community.
Due Apr 24: The Trinity Challenge: Community Access to Antibiotics is looking for solutions that improve equitable access to antibiotics while combating antimicrobial resistance. Two grand prizes of £500,000 will be awarded.
Due April 24: The Grand Challenges Canada program has launched its "Play, Learn, Thrive" initiative offering seed grants of up to $250,000 CAD for innovations supporting early childhood development and education in emergencies.
Ongoing: Antler, Nigeria is an 8-week in-person program that offers $100K for 10% in companies that pass the Antler Investment Committee.
Ongoing: KPMG Female Founders in Africa Competition: This competition seeks ambitious, high-growth ventures led by women, providing support, resources, and networking opportunities.
Ongoing: The Draper Richards Kaplan (DRK) Foundation offers up to $300K for early-stage social enterprises addressing critical social or environmental issues.
The Segal Family Foundation recently published a directory of funders actively supporting healthcare and other sectors in Africa.
Events
March 12 in Nairobi: Women in Tech Africa Summit
March 14-15 in Oxford: Oxford Africa Business Forum
April 1-4 in Oxford: Skoll World Forum
April 8-9 in Lagos: Africa Social Impact Summit
April 14-16 in Marrakech: GITEX AFRICA
April 28–May 2 in Lagos: AVCA Conference & VC Summit
April 24-26 in Paris: ChangeNOW
April 29-30 in The Hague: Invest in Africa Summit
May 14-15 in London: Impact Investing World Forum
May 21-23 in Oslo: Katapult Future Fest
June 11-13 in Accra: Africa Impact Summit
Snippets from the Silicon Savannah
In case you missed it, last week our founder shared her notes and reflections on investing in healthcare from a whirlwind visit to Nairobi.
That’s a wrap for this month. Please share reactions, deals, news, or events with us on our LinkedIn page. You can also:
👍 Follow us on LinkedIn
🪙 Nominate a startup for seed funding
🤝🏻 Invest with us
🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
We’ll be back next month. Thanks for reading!