Seven African Startups Picked for i3 Africa’s Third Healthcare Cohort
TLDR
- Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative supporting tech-enabled healthcare supply chain startups, has announced its third cohort of seven companies
- The selected startups—Chefaa, Dawa Mkononi, Meditect, mPharma, myDawa, RxAll, and Sproxil—are active in 19 African countries
- Each company will receive tailored investor readiness support from partners, including Villgro Africa, IMPACT Lab, CcHUB, and Startupbootcamp Afritech
Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative supporting tech-enabled healthcare supply chain startups, has announced its third cohort of seven companies, each eligible for up to $225,000 in funding and bespoke commercial support. The initiative, backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-sponsored by MSD, Cencora, Sanofi Global Health Unit, Chemonics, HELP Logistics, and the Endless Foundation, aims to accelerate market access for growth-stage health innovators.
The selected startups—Chefaa, Dawa Mkononi, Meditect, mPharma, myDawa, RxAll, and Sproxil—are active in 19 African countries and focus on solutions ranging from AI-driven prescription refills to last-mile delivery and embedded pharmacy financing.
Each company will receive tailored investor readiness support from partners, including Villgro Africa, IMPACT Lab, CcHUB, and Startupbootcamp Afritech, alongside curated introductions to healthcare buyers, governments, and donors. The program’s goal is to facilitate $30 million in commercial partnerships and establish i3 as a catalyst for tech-led healthcare reform across Africa.
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Key Takeaways
Africa’s fragmented healthcare supply chains are ripe for transformation, and i3 is positioning itself as a platform to bridge innovators and buyers. By backing growth-stage startups with risk-tolerant capital, deal facilitation, and direct access to large purchasers, i3 is unlocking market pathways often unavailable to early-stage companies. Startups like myDawa and mPharma have already demonstrated scale in Kenya and Ghana, while others like RxAll and Chefaa leverage AI and logistics to address medication access and authenticity issues. By anchoring local solutions in commercial pathways and government partnerships, i3 helps reduce dependency on donor-led procurement. Its December 2025 Access to Markets summit is expected to drive high-value transactions between innovators and Africa’s largest healthcare buyers, essential for improving supply chain efficiency, affordability, and access. As healthcare spending rises across the continent, initiatives like i3 offer a roadmap for integrating innovation into long-term system resilience.
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