6 African tech startups offering services in the healthcare sector are among 25 African startups listed by Google for Startups (GFS), as beneficiaries of the 2023 edition of its annual Black Founders Fund.
The 6 African healthtech startups include:
1. Akoma Health (Nigeria): Tech platform for accessible, culturally conscious mental health services in Africa
2. MDaaS Global (Nigeria): Tech-powered diagnostic centres for affordable healthcare
3. HealthDart (South Africa): Digital HMO providing end-to-end health services with insurance
4. Zinacare (South Africa): Online platform for accessible, affordable healthcare services.
5. Susu (Côte d’Ivoire): Health platform providing healthcare services/insurance funded by African diaspora
6. Talamus Health (Ghana): Tech solutions targeting healthcare inefficiencies in Africa
Since its inception, the Black Founders Fund has provided equity-free grants and mentoring to early-stage, Black-led, and high-growth businesses across Africa and Europe and facilitated over $205 million in investor conversations. This has sparked significant growth within the participating startups, with their combined monthly recurring revenue now exceeding $6.1 million, marking a 7% increase.
The selected cohort of 40 startups from Europe and Africa, includes 25 African startups that embody the diverse entrepreneurial spirit across the African continent. Startups led or co-founded by women make up 72% of the group, highlighting the role women play in shaping Africa’s startup ecosystem. This also demonstrates Google’s commitment to ensuring gender equity with its support for African entrepreneurs.
Google’s equity-free money of between $50,000 and $100,000 is distributed across various sectors, including food, construction, and legal services, but the majority of beneficiaries are in fintech, logistics, and healthcare. The fund will empower the businesses to expand into new markets and drive job creation.
Each selected startup will receive up to $150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards, up to $200,000 in Google Cloud credits, Ad support, mentoring by industry experts and connections within Google’s network.
According to Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startups Ecosystem, Africa at Google, “Startups play a major role in advancing Africa’s digital transformation. We look forward to working with this group of innovative founders who are using technology to solve some of the most pressing challenges in Africa. The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund is committed to addressing the stark inequality in VC funding by providing Black founders with the resources and support they need to succeed.”
