Africa Health Ventures #23: Big Tech is in the Room

If you are one of the hundreds of startups in Kenya and Nigeria building AI chatbots, your world was also rocked when OpenAI announced ChatGPT Health on Jan 7. This was followed by OpenAI for Healthcare on Jan 8; Claude for Healthcare on Jan 11; and, intriguingly, OpenAI’s “$100 million” acqui-hire of 4-person Torch on Jan 12. Big Tech is in the room and it knows the value of healthcare.

The question many founders are asking: does it even make sense to step up when there are already so many giants in the room? Let’s face it: hundreds of startups and would-be startups will be wiped out by these new offerings. Pure-play AI chatbots, personalized care portals, and intranet search will be commodities.

And yet, there is more work to do. Ironically, the things that make it difficult to build in healthcare are the same things that make it so compelling. These struggles are what create necessary and defensible value. Regulatory approval. Government partnerships. Economies of scale on physical assets. Enterprise engagement and workflow optimization. The infinite mysteries and the messy biology of our own bodies. Relationships. Trust.

So yes, Big Tech is here and some innovations are dead already. The opportunity that remains is not in chat interfaces or content aggregation. It’s in doing the hard, unsexy work that turns technology into real outcomes. Founders who can navigate regulation, embed into workflows, earn institutional trust, and build with governments and enterprises won’t be displaced—They’ll be indispensable. The room is crowded, but there’s still plenty of space for the hands-on work that actually moves health systems forward.

Read on for 18 new deals, 24 opportunities, and 14 upcoming events relevant for healthcare innovators and investors in Africa.

• Nawah Scientific raised $23 million in a Series A to expand its cloud-lab footprint across MENA and Africa. The Egyptian life-sciences startup enables remote access to advanced laboratory testing for researchers and enterprises.

• GOAL 3 has been awarded a €1 million Eurostars grant alongside partner Picterus to develop JaundiceCARE, a new neonatal jaundice screening and management solution.

• Rology has closed a growth funding round with participation from the Philips Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, Sanofi Global Health Unit’s Impact Fund, and MIT Solve Innovation Future. The Egyptian AI‑assisted teleradiology platform connects hospitals with remote radiologists.

• Sora raised an additional $2.5 million in seed funding. The Japan-headquartered startup uses drones and AI to map disease environments and support targeted malaria control and other public health interventions across Africa.

• FitXpert secured a seven-figure strategic investment from Foras Investment. The Egyptian SaaS startup provides a unified fitness and nutrition management system for trainers, clinics and wellness centres.

• Immobazyme raised $1.5 million from the University Technology Fund (UTF II), alongside Fireball Capital and Stellenbosch University Enterprises. The South African biotech uses precision fermentation to develop and scale biologics for therapeutic, research, and industrial use.

• Mamy Eyewear received an investment from Ikemori Venture Support to grow its footprint across East Africa. The Kenyan optical retailer offers affordable, tech-driven eyecare solutions including AI-powered eye exams.

• mPharma secured a strategic investment from Growth Investment Partners (GIP) backed by British International Investment to accelerate its healthcare expansion in West Africa. The Ghana-based healthtech optimises pharmaceutical supply chains and operates a franchise pharmacy model.

• Namola was acquired by Community Wolf to consolidate South Africa’s safety-tech ecosystem. Namola is a South African emergency-response app that lets users quickly request medical, security, or roadside assistance.

• CarePoint secured financing from JICA to support regional expansion, including entry into Egypt. The company operates tech-enabled clinics that blend physical care delivery with digital health tools.

• Africa’s Business Heroes 2025 awarded NuvoteQ $150,000 for its clinical research tools to support the design, execution, and management of clinical trials.

• Enza Capital exited its stake in Quro Medical to Netcare Group, South Africa’s largest private hospital group. Quro Medical extends healthcare services from facilities to the home, combining in-home clinical care with telemedicine and digital monitoring.

• Alta Semper Fund II secured $38 million from EIB Global to scale pharmaceutical manufacturing, healthcare services, and life sciences companies to strengthen local drug production and healthcare access across Africa.

• Adenia Partners has acquired a majority stake in Egypt’s Parkville Pharmaceuticals, which manufactures therapeutic, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical products.

• Salt Capital & South Suez Capital have completed the acquisition of Welwitschia Hospital, ERAD Radiology, and Spescare Namibia in a strategic healthcare deal strengthening Namibia’s hospital and diagnostic network.

• Carrefour Medical has secured €18 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to boost local manufacturing and distribution of medical equipment and consumables in Senegal.

• AdiWale Growth Fund made an undisclosed investment into a Guinea-based healthcare provider to boost clinical capacity and expand services.

• The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation disclosed $76 million allocated across 2025 towards ethical AI in low-resource countries. This included grants to Jacaranda Health, Audere, Maisha Meds, Nexleaf Analytics, and Open Function.

• The Gates Foundation and OpenAI committed $50 million to the Horizon1000 initiative, aiming to deploy AI‑powered tools to 1,000 primary healthcare clinics across Africa—starting with Rwanda—to assist health workers, improve clinical decision‑making, and strengthen care delivery by 2028.

• The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved $30 million in financing to expand Rwanda’s Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Engineering and e‑Health.

• GAVI the Vaccine Alliance announced a new collaboration with partners including 500 Global, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Tony’s Chocolonely, UBS Optimus Foundation, Bayer Foundation, Zipline and the Elton John AIDS Foundation to accelerate vaccine innovation and expand access to immunisation and primary healthcare. This effort builds on an early pledge of CAD 40 million from Grand Challenges Canada through GAVI’s Innovation Scale-Up Facility.

• Biomine won the healthtech category of the 2025 South African Startup Awards for its work in gut microbiome health diagnostics.

• Tech in Africa published an overview of regulatory frameworks relevant for healthtech founders in Africa navigating regulatory approval and compliance.

• Case Study: Salient Advisory recently published two side-by-side case studies on digitizing the last mile of healthcare delivery. They evaluate the pros and cons of an open-source, donor-funded healthtech platform (RHOS) alongside a proprietary, market-driven healthtech offering (ElephantOS).

• Feb 5 Info Day: EU Global Health EDCTP3 Funding Programme will hold an online info day for the €147 million available to support global health research and innovation, with a focus on poverty-related infectious diseases, epidemic preparedness, and research.

• Due Feb 7: International Albert Schweitzer Prijs (ASP 2026) awards €25,000 for first prize to innovative health projects improving care in Sub‑Saharan Africa.

• Due Feb 9: INCiTiS‑FOOD 2nd Open Call for Independent Innovators offers a total funding pool of €60,000 to 24 independent innovators (startups or SMEs) developing circular agri‑food solutions in African cities.

• Due Feb 14: Eisenhower Fellowships support entrepreneurs between the ages of 32–45. Fellows benefit from six weeks of immersive travel, professional exchange and lifelong network membership.

• Due Feb 15: O‑Farms Accelerator 2026 invites Kenyan and Ugandan SMEs in the agri‑food sector to join a tailored acceleration program that includes technical assistance and access to revenue‑based financing.

• Due Feb 15: Qualcomm Make in Africa Startup Mentorship Program 2026 is an equity‑free mentorship initiative for early‑stage African tech startups applying connectivity and advanced processing technologies, including potential $5,000 stipends and a Social Impact Fund award.

• Due Feb 15: OceanHub Africa – Call for Bold Ideas in Plastic Circularity invites startups across Africa tackling plastic waste and promoting circular solutions to apply for acceleration support.

• Due Feb 16: Heirs Insurance Hackathon invites Nigerian innovators to submit tech-driven solutions to modernize the insurance industry. Winners receive cash prizes, incubation, and a chance to collaborate with Heirs Insurance and Heirs Life.

• Due Feb 17: IKI Large Grants 2025 offers €20–30 million per project for large-scale climate and biodiversity initiatives in developing and emerging economies.

• Due Feb 17: Wellcome Early-Career Awards supports early-career researchers with funding to develop independent research programmes addressing health challenges.

• Due Feb 28: UNCDF Financing for Nature-Positive Private Sector Enterprises in Central Africa calls for expressions of interest from private sector enterprises in DRC, Congo, Gabon, and Cameroon to access blended finance and technical support for nature-positive, climate-resilient business models.

• Due Mar 1: The Tony Elumelu Foundation 2026 Entrepreneurship Programme offers $5,000 seed grants to early-stage African startups using digital technology to address development challenges.

• Due Mar 15: WAM Foundation invites non-profit organizations and researchers to submit proposals for Programs and Research to Alleviate Human Suffering, offering from $50,000 to $1.5 million.

• Due Mar 16: Wellcome Genomics in Context Awards funds interdisciplinary research that combines genomics with social science, humanities, ethics, or public engagement.

• Due Mar 20: INSPIRE – Improving National Supply Chains for Maternal and Newborn Health seeks proposals to strengthen national supply chains for maternal and newborn health products in low-income countries.

• Due Mar 31: Startup World Cup Regional Competition at RegTech Africa Conference invites African startups to apply to showcase their solutions and compete for a chance to advance toward a US $1 million global prize.

• Due Apr 1: Common Fund for Commodities 28th Call for Proposals invites SMEs, cooperatives and organisations in CFC member countries to apply for funding to strengthen smallholder livelihoods, resilient ecosystems and inclusive value chains.

• Due Apr 9: Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination Through Secondary Prevention invites innovations that expand access to screening, diagnosis, and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions in low-income countries.

• Due Jun 16: Apply for Grant – Niger Delta Digital Summit offers seed funding of a total ₦1,800,000 to digital or tech-led startups in the Niger Delta.

• Due Jun 16: Cartier Women’s Initiative Regional Awards invites women-led impact entrepreneurs globally to apply for fellowship awards.

• Ongoing: Renew Venture Lab is accepting applications for its program which includes $50,000 – $300,000 in funding.

• Ongoing: Antler Nigeria and Nairobi are accepting applications for its 10-week program including $100,000 in funding.

• Ongoing: EridanSeed SME Scale 2026 invites growth-ready Nigerian SMEs to apply for a structured scale programme.

• Ongoing: Stanford GSB Impact Fund makes impact investments into early-stage for-profit ventures with strong social or environmental impact

• Ongoing: Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG) offers Nigerian tertiary students (300 level and above) up to ₦50 million in equity-free funding for STEM-based ventures that have progressed beyond proof of concept.

• Feb 9-12 in Dubai: World Health Expo, Dubai

• Feb 11-12 in Nairobi: Africa Tech Summit

• Feb 16-17 in Cambridge, USA: HBS Africa Business Conference

• Feb 21 in Cambridge, USA: The 2026 Africa Health Conference

• Feb 22-25 in Los Angeles, USA: ViVE

• Feb 25-26 in Nairobi: Sankalp Africa Summit

• Mar 3-5 in Basel, Switzerland: Health.Tech Global Summit

• Mar 10-11 in Miami: Investival Showcase USA

• Mar 14 in Oxford, UK: Oxford Africa Business Forum

• Mar 30-Apr 1 in Paris: ChangeNow

• Apr 1-4 in Oxford: Skoll World Forum

• Apr 7-9 in Morocco: GITEX Africa

• Apr 14 in The Hague: Invest in Africa Summit 2026

In case you missed it, last week we released our annual review of healthcare startups, funding, and investors in Africa in 2025. Despite a tumultuous year, healthcare sector funding surged by over 200% in 2025, the largest growth seen in any sector on the continent. Read the full report here.

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