Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative to support African healthtech startups to commercialise and scale their offerings, is calling for leading innovators to join its 3rd cohort. Funded by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics–a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation, Sanofi’s Global Health Unit and Chemonics, i3 will offer select startups 3 critical resources to prepare themselves for expansion: flexible grants, introductions to potential customers and tailored counsel to close partnership deals.
i3 is selecting a total of 15 leading startups for this cohort:
● 10 early-stage startups innovating in healthcare delivery or product distribution
● 5 growth-stage startups building the future of pharmacy care
Early-stage startups will receive a $50K grant and growth-stage startups will receive a $225K grant to unlock major partnerships that can expand patient access across the continent. For startups in the cohort, i3 aims to facilitate at least 150 relationships with key healthcare organizations, worth at least $30M, which will expand patient access while creating valuable local jobs.
Applications for the 3rd cohort are open now until February 28th. Apply here: innovationsinafrica.com/application . The selected startups will be announced on April 30th.
In just two years since its launch, i3 has empowered 60 African health innovators across 16 countries, exceeding expectations with 43% women-led and 20% Francophone-led ventures. The program provided $3M in direct grants, and facilitated 450 strategic connections, resulting in >$11M in contracted partnerships, expanded reach, and nearly 1,000 jobs created — half of which were held by women. i3 is coordinated by Salient Advisory and Solina Center for Research and Development (SCIDaR).
Dr. Uchenna Igbokwe, CEO, SCIDaR “With the right resources, African-led companies can scale commercially while reaching underserved communities and creating jobs. The i3 program has been able to prove, in just two years, that an actively engaged network of leading global health institutions and partners can power African innovators to solve critical African problems in healthcare.”
Oghenetega Iortim, CEO of Figorr, a company that provides end-to-end supply chain tracking technology and an i3 alumni, said, “We partnered with the Nigerian government to track over 200M health products. Through i3 we met with major global customers who were excited to find ways to expand Figorr’s impact both in Nigeria, and beyond. We’re grateful to i3 for opening these doors.”
Applications for the 3rd cohort are open now until February 28. Apply here:
innovationsinafrica.com/application. The selected startups will be announced on April 30th. A virtual Q&A session will be hosted by i3 on February 21st to answer any questions regarding the application process. i3 is coordinated by Salient Advisory and Solina Center for Research and Development (SCIDaR). Leading tech hubs CcHUB and Villgro Africa will spearhead cohort selection, alongside a distinguished panel of African experts.
About the Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone — especially those with the fewest resources — has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/
About MSD
At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we’ve been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world’s most challenging diseases. For more information, visit www.msd.com and connect with us on X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Cencora
Formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, Cencora is a leading global pharmaceutical solutions organization centered on improving the lives of people and animals around the world. Cencora partners with pharmaceutical innovators across the value chain to facilitate and optimize market access to therapies. Care providers depend on Cencora for the secure, reliable delivery of pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and solutions. Cencora’s 46,000+ worldwide team members contribute to positive health outcomes through the power of Cencora’s purpose: Cencora is united in its responsibility to create healthier futures. Cencora is ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 and #18 on the Global Fortune 500 with more than $290 billion in annual revenue. Learn more at http://cencora.com
Endless Foundation
Endless Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to unlocking human potential through technology.
Focused on empowering communities through holistic and integrated primary care, the foundation makes catalytic investments in innovative tools and interventions that enhance healthcare access and outcomes, such as enabling patients and frontline providers with AI, engaging pharmacies in primary care, and aligning provider incentives with patient-centered measures of experience and outcomes. Their mission is to bridge healthcare gaps worldwide by leveraging technology to create sustainable, inclusive health systems.https://www.endlessnetwork.com/initiative-health.html
About HELP Logistics
Established in 2014, HELP Logistics is a non-profit organization based in Schindellegi, Switzerland and a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation. With five regional offices strategically located in Singapore (Asia), Germany (Europe), Amman (Middle East), Nairobi (East Africa), and Dakar (West Africa), our mission is to act as a global catalyst for advancing supply chain and logistics expertise to enhance the lives, opportunities, and resilience of people, communities, and economies worldwide. For more information, visit: https://www.help-logistics.org and follow us on LinkedIn.
Sanofi’s Global Health Unit
Sanofi’s Global Health Unit is a pioneering, not-for-profit social business model with a mission to improve the lives of underserved populations in 40 countries with the highest unmet medical needs through innovative inclusive healthcare models and partnerships, delivering a sustainable impact. Established in 2022, the Impact Investment Fund is focused on supporting the scale-up of businesses to improve access to healthcare by supporting startup companies and other innovators who can deliver scalable solutions for healthcare in underserved regions. For more information, visit: https://www.impact.sanofi/
About Chemonics International
Founded in 1975, Chemonics is a leading global sustainable development firm for one reason: our people. We are 6,000+ professionals in more than 100 countries around the globe, and 90 percent of us are working in a community we’ve long called home. Our teams reflect a diversity of technical expertise and local knowledge because solving complex development challenges requires both. And as a company, we are committed to connections — global and local, human and technological — that allow learnings to efficiently flow and adapt between experts, projects, and countries. Where Chemonics works, development works. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter or visit us at https://chemonics.com/
About Salient Advisory
Launched in 2020 with a globally distributed team in Kenya, Nigeria and Canada, Salient Advisory helps changemakers enact transformative approaches to health. The company analyses and supports partnerships to use technology and innovations, adapt policy and financing, and elevate unheard voices to change global conversations and transform access to care. https://www.salientadvisory.com/
About SCIDaR
SCIDaR is an indigenous, Nigeria-based health systems consulting and implementation non-profit organisation that works with governments, development organisations, and the private sector to optimise population health outcomes. It applies proven business and market-shaping techniques and utilises its relationships and understanding of Africa’s public and private sector health system actors to ensure sustainable impact. https://scidar.org/