Sanofi on Thursday June 11, announced five winners in the finals of AfricaTech Healthcare Challenges 2020. Mobihealth International, a Nigerian startup and telehealth platform, emerged as winner in its category of challenge.
11 startups pitched their projects before an online jury and audience at the live virtual event. Early in the year, Sanofi called on startups and techpreneurs across Africa to submit applications to its four healthcare challenges. 268 applications were received from 34 African countries, based on 5 criteria: project maturity, early results, relevance of the solution, market potential and business model, as well as the skills and expertise of the team.
At the end of the finals, the jury, composed of experts internal and external to Sanofi, announced the 5 winning startups:
Challenge #1: How to support patients with a digital health book in order to access information and make decision?
EYONE (Senegal) offers a shared medical file where patients have access to their medical records in real time everywhere and are connected to 35 online health professionals that have partnered with the startup.
Challenge #2: How to help healthcare systems leapfrog from manual to smart logistics solutions at point of care?
Mobihealth International (Nigeria) is Africa’s first fully integrated telehealth electronic medical records and video app. Its mission is to use telemedicine to provide people in developing countries with access to quality healthcare services in the most cost and time effective way, anytime, anywhere.
Challenge #3: How to improve financing and impact of innovative health solutions in Africa?
MamaPrime (Kenya) is a health fintech company that enables mothers and their families to prepay for their prenatal and postnatal care and child wellness services in installments throughout their pregnancy.
Challenge #4 - Sanofi Espoir Foundation: How to improve maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa?
- Teheca (Uganda) connects new and expectant mothers to qualified nurses for at home post- natal checkups and supports by using low cost and low-tech solutions. The increased accessibility to post-natal cares aims at timely identification and referral of life-threatening complications during post-natal period.
- The University Agency Innovation (Cameroon) is a hub of scientific, technological and enterprise-based innovations. Its spin-off AUI Techno designs and produces an interactive infant incubator connectable to doctors’ smartphones, in order to reduce the neonatal mortality rate.
AfricaTech is a commitment by Sanofi to encourage and accelerate innovation in Africa, improve access to healthcare and transform the health ecosystem throughout the continent.
In the next steps, Sanofi teams will assess the possibility to accompany the 5 winning startups in pursuit of their growth ambitions.
Sanofi would like to thank all participants, those who work daily to improve health in Africa and all innovators who provide the opportunities offered by digital technology.