Kenyan Mobile healthcare startup Zuri Health has recently received $1.3 million in pre-seed funding round to grow its product offerings, improve its technology and expand into new markets across Africa with participation from DOB Equity, Launch Africa, Founders Factory Africa, V8 Capital, Platform Capital, Villgro Africa, Asime Ventures, and the Salik Family Trust.
The health sector in Africa (and every other continent) has received an influx of investments since the Covid-19 outbreak. These funds are deployed to make healthcare services more accessible, faster, and personalized. Zuri Health is the latest beneficiary of these investments with a $1.3M pre-seed round.
What To Know About Zuri Health
Ikechukwu Arthur Anoke and Daisy Isiaho founded the startup in January 2021 after facing personal health crises that were solved by telemedicine.
Sighting an opportunity, they decided to create a customer journey for mobile customers seeking healthcare services that were affordable, personalized, and convenient, capitalizing on their previous work experience at technology firms (Anoke at Mtech and Isiaho at MarketForce). Both founders are using their expertise and knowledge to help improve and democratize healthcare access in the post-Covid era.
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The virtual, mobile-first, on-demand healthcare platform, Zuri Health, helps patients quickly and easily access healthcare from certified healthcare providers based on availability, location, and specialization. The startup initially launched in Kenya and has since been operational in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Zuri Health partners with major telecom companies like MTN, Safaricom, and Telkom (Kenya) to bring together healthcare providers like medical labs, pharmacies, and hospitals. Doctors are just a few clicks or texts away, bringing healthcare services closer to patients.
The health startup currently has over 300 doctors, 27 lab and diagnostic centers, and 15 pharmacies on its platform, as well as 16 major mobile network operators with over 400,000 SMS subscribers.
Democratizing Healthcare Access in Africa with Technology
Commenting on the round, CEO and founder of Zuri Health, Ikechukwu Anoke, said, “We are driven by the impact our service could have – to be a solution to Africa’s lack of adequate healthcare. Healthcare infrastructure in most parts of Africa is grossly inadequate, with painfully high doctor-patient ratios. Many Africans cannot afford healthcare services or live too far away from healthcare facilities. And with skilled healthcare workers increasingly leaving Africa for greener pastures, the situation is worsening.”
“We have a burning desire to democratize healthcare access and harness the power of technology to provide quality, first-tier medical services,” he added.
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Zachariah George, the managing partner at Launch Africa Ventures, said his company believed in the Zuri Health team’s ability to blaze a trail in African e-health. “The startup shows tremendous potential to scale across the continent and democratize access to healthcare,” he said.
Dr. Akintoye Akindele, chairman of Platform Capital, who will soon join the Zuri board, disclosed that he looked forward to working closely with the team to transform access to healthcare.
“We believe that Anoke, Isiaho, and the Zuri Health team have created a platform that addresses the large healthcare infrastructure gap that exists on the continent and has the potential to ensure access to affordable medical care for every African,” he revealed.
Zuri Health intends to use this fresh funding to expand its digital platform, expand its product offerings, and expand into other areas.