HelpMum, a business based in Nigeria that focuses on maternal health, has been chosen as one of the 10 companies that will take part in the 2023 Chat for Impact Health Accelerator, which is being organised by Turn.io in cooperation with WhatsApp and The Agency Fund.
The Chat for Impact Accelerator hopes to amplify the efforts of health groups already using WhatsApp to offer communities access to health information and services, and its name comes from this mission.
The company, which was founded with the goal of lowering the rates of maternal and infant mortality in Africa, is one of only three African technology startups that have been chosen to take part in the project. The programme will provide each of the ten participants with a funding opportunity of $25,000 if they are successful.
In addition to the financial assistance, the firms would also receive coaching and mentorship from Open AI, The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), SameSame, Noora Health, Reach Digital Health, and White Rice. Vote.org and White Rice would also contribute to the funding of the startups.
The purpose of this is to provide assistance to these companies so that they may improve the quality of the healthcare services they now provide by integrating into their digital communications behavioural science, rigorous assessment, and AI that has been ethically designed.
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Remark from HelpMum’s CEO
Dr. Abiodun Adereni, who also serves as the company’s CEO and creator, expressed how excited the team was to learn that they had been chosen as one of the few to take part in the transformative accelerator. According to him, this is a recognition of the significant gains it has achieved since it was first introduced.
“The HelpMum team is thrilled to join the Chat for Impact accelerator program. We take immense pride in our latest innovation, the HelpMum Vaccination Tracker Chatbot, which will be launched as a significant component of this accelerator initiative.”
According to a statement released by Pippa Yeats, one of the co-founders of Turn.io, the firm is excited to provide assistance to entrepreneurs in expanding their influence and reach, both of which are already having an effect on the communities in which they are based.
“These organisations are already making a meaningful impact within their communities. We’re thrilled to help them expand their efforts and positively influence millions of lives through the Turn.io platform and the Chat for Impact accelerator program. We look forward to working closely with them to amplify their health services,” said Pippa Yeats, Co-Founder of Turn.io.
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Other participants
The 2023 cohort covers a varied set of companies across EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions. These organisations engage in a variety of sectors related to health, including mental health, general healthcare access, maternal health, women’s health, vaccination, health education, and more. These organisations were selected from a pool of over 375 applicants.
HelpMum is the only Nigerian startup to be chosen for the cohort, and it is one of just three African startups overall. Access Afya, which is based in Kenya, and Rocket Health, which is based in Uganda, are the two other African firms. Access Afya provides a primary healthcare operating system that is of high quality, is locally customised, and is specifically developed to meet the requirements of low-income markets.
HelpMum is the only Nigerian startup to be chosen for the cohort, and it is one of just three African startups overall. Access Afya, which is based in Kenya, and Rocket Health, which is based in Uganda, are the two other African firms. Access Afya provides a primary healthcare operating system that is of high quality, is locally customised, and is specifically developed to meet the requirements of low-income markets.
On the other side, Rocket Health is a major private digital health company in Uganda that provides telemedicine and last-mile health services to patients and clinicians through the use of chat, phone, and video calls.
Aras Jizan, a member of The Agency Fund, stated that they are behind the effort: “We are excited to partner with Turn.io to support the 2023 cohort of the Chat for Impact Accelerator. As they strengthen their impact and grow in scale, we’re looking forward to seeing these teams work to ensure that all people can navigate toward a healthier future.“
The fact that over 375 applications were submitted by health institutions from all around the world is evidence that secure chat is increasingly being recognised as an essential component of scalable health projects.
At the culminating event of the Chat for Impact Accelerator, all ten of the participating companies will each give a presentation on the live chat services that they offer. This event is scheduled to take place at the end of the year.