11 Start-ups for Sanofi AfriTech 2020 Contest

By Dipo Olowookere

A total of 11 start-ups have been selected for the third edition of AfricaTech organised by Sanofi following the cancellation of the 2020 edition of Viva Technology.

A statement from Sanofi said the 2020 AfricaTech, an online pitch, will take place on June 11, 2020. The firm also stated that the contest will be in four challenges.

It was further disclosed that a total of 268 applications (compared to 222 last year) were received from 34 countries and the 11 finalists were picked based on five criteria: project maturity, early results, relevance of the solution, market potential and business model, as well as the skills and expertise of the team.

The four challenges and the 11 selected startups selected are:

Challenge #1: How to support patients with a digital health book in order to access information and make decision?

Bypa-ss (Egypt) is digitizing healthcare information exchange through its platform HealthTag that allows patients to get their diagnosis, latest check-ups, medical scans as well as test results.

Keeplyna (Tunisia) is an eHealth platform for telemedicine. It offers a free digital medical book to all African citizens and includes all health information of all family members.

EYONE (Senegal) offers a shared medical file. Patients have 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?

Doctor 4 Africa (India) is an integrated online platform offering a digital health solution in African countries. It connects patients to health care professionals in underserved communities where there is a shortage of specialists, so they can receive affordable quality care.

Mobilhealth 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?

SOSO CARE (Nigeria) is a low-cost digital tool enabling 100 million Nigerians to access health insurance and care in 1,170 clinics.

MamaPrime (Kenya) is a health fintech company that enables mothers and their families to prepay for their prenatal & postnatal care and child wellness services in instalments throughout their pregnancy.

JokkoSanté (Senegal) is a digital payment platform that secures the use of money intended for health, with a new payment method. It can also be used to manage drug traceability and online prescriptions.

Challenge #4 - Sanofi Espoir Foundation: How to improve maternal and neonatal health in sub-Saharan Africa?

Teheca (Ouganda) 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 accessibility increase to post-natal cares aims a timely identification and a referral of life-threatening complications during post-natal period.

The University Agency Innovation (Cameroun) 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.

Natal Cares (Nigeria) is an integrated solution providing healthcare, medical monitoring and emergency services to at-risk pregnant women and nursing mothers belonging to disconnected rural communities.

At the 2020 AfricaTech live virtual pitch, these startups will compete in their respective challenge categories before an online audience and a jury made up of global professionals, investors and thought leaders in technology and healthcare.

According to the statement, the objective of this contest is to continue Sanofi’s commitment to encourage innovation in Africa, improve access to healthcare and transform the health ecosystem throughout the continent.

Echoing this view, Sanofi’s General Manager, General Medicines, Nigeria & Ghana and Country Lead, Nigeria, Ms Folake Odediran, stated that, “The AfricaTech initiative is in line with our purpose of empowering lives.

“We are so far impressed with the progress of the 2020 Challenge and are happy for all the finalists who have made it this far. We are even more excited that three of them emerged from our Nigeria-Ghana affiliate and we hope that the best techpreneurs win.”

After Viva Technology 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the selected startups will now be invited to pitch their solutions at 2:00pm CET (Paris time) on June 11, 2020, during a special Sanofi Africatech day by video conference.

The live virtual event will be hosted by Sanofi Africa zone and will comprise of four pitch sessions, each of 30 – 45 minutes duration. Attendance is open to external audiences through prior registration.

The four winning startups will be announced at the end of this event, and Sanofi will then evaluate longer-term partnership opportunities with them.