KENYA – Zuri Health, Kenya’s fastest-growing digital healthcare company which provides affordable healthcare via mobile, has raised US$1.3 million in pre-seed funding to scale quality healthcare services affordably across Africa.
The funding round was led by DOB Equity, pan-African early-stage venture fund Launch Africa and Founders Factory Africa with additional investments from V8 Capital, Platform Capital, Villgro Africa, Asime Ventures and the Salik Family Trust.
Zuri Health will use the new funding to democratize healthcare access in a post-COVID environment and harness the power of technology to provide quality, first-tier medical services across Africa.
Founded in Kenya in January 2021, Zuri Health is a virtual, mobile-first, on-demand healthcare platform that helps patients quickly and easily access healthcare from certified healthcare providers based on availability, location and specialization.
The digital health company connects mass-market patients to provide affordable, accessible, mobile-first quality healthcare solutions via dedicated app, WAP (wireless application protocol), WhatsApp and SMS services.
It has partnered with more than 16 major mobile network operators in seven countries, currently operational in Nigeria, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia, with over 400,000 SMS subscribers, over 300 doctors, 27 lab and diagnostic centres and 15 pharmacies across its markets.
The platform’s expansion plans come at a time when many Africans still cannot afford healthcare services or live too far away from healthcare facilities while skilled healthcare workers are increasingly leaving Africa for greener pastures.
The company seeks to build an affordable, personalized and convenient customer journey for mobile subscribers seeking affordable, convenient and quality healthcare services to address healthcare infrastructure gaps in Africa.
Efforts to scale quality healthcare services affordably remain a challenge across Africa as the continent bears 25% of the world’s disease burden but only has 2% of the world’s doctors according to the World Economic Forum reports.
Subsequently, Zuri Health plans to use the recent investment into further building out its digital platform, growing its product offerings and launching operations in new markets across Africa.
The funds will support the growth of Zuri Health as it builds an innovative and scalable platform that will enable access to healthcare for millions of rural and urban communities across the continent.
“We are driven by the impact our service could have, to be a solution to Africa’s lack of sufficient healthcare. Healthcare infrastructure in most parts of Africa is grossly inadequate, with painfully high doctor-patient ratios,” noted CEO and Founder of Zuri Health Ikechukwu Arthur Anoke.
The Zuri Health team have created a digital health 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.
Moreover, the company has partnered with telecoms like MTN, Safaricom and Telkom Kenya and aggregates healthcare providers like medical labs, pharmacies, and hospitals to bring healthcare services closer to patients since doctors are a few clicks or a text away.
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