Kenyan medical oxygen provider Hewatele has secured a $10.5M investment from AfricInvest’s Transform Health Fund (THF). The financing is earmarked for the construction of a new large-scale liquid oxygen (LOX) production facility, aimed at improving the reliability and quality of medical oxygen for hospitals across the region.
Founded in 2014, Hewatele has raised over $40M to date. This latest injection of capital will help the company scale its operations significantly.
Access to medical oxygen is a critical but often overlooked challenge in East Africa. In Kenya alone, a stark reality underscores the problem: over 70% of the country’s existing Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants are either non-operational or produce oxygen at purity levels well below the 90% minimum standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This shortfall directly impacts patient care, hampering the treatment of respiratory illnesses like pneumonia — the seventh leading cause of death in Kenya — and compromising the safety of surgeries and emergency care. The region’s heavy reliance on oxygen imports also exposes it to supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations.
Hewatele is tackling this issue by shifting from smaller-scale PSA technology to a more industrial approach. The new facility will use Air Separation Unit (ASU) technology to produce liquid oxygen at 99.6% purity, far exceeding international medical standards.
By producing LOX locally, Hewatele aims to create a stable supply chain, reduce logistical hurdles, and make medical-grade oxygen more affordable and consistently available, particularly for health facilities in underserved communities.
“Oxygen is a cornerstone of effective healthcare — from emergency response and surgical care to treatment for newborns and respiratory illnesses,” said Noorin Mawani and Faisal Jiwa, Co-Leads of the Transform Health Fund. “Hewatele’s approach offers a transformative solution to longstanding challenges in oxygen access across the region.”
The $10.5M from THF is structured as a senior secured bridge facility. It complements ongoing support from Hewatele’s existing high-profile investors, including the Soros Economic Development Fund, Finnfund, and the UBS Optimus Foundation.
The Transform Health Fund itself is an innovative $109.5M blended-finance vehicle managed by AfricInvest. It focuses on scaling up proven healthcare solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, with backing from institutions like the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Proparco, and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
THF’s strategy is to invest in enterprises that strengthen local health supply chains and care delivery. Its portfolio already includes Africa Healthcare Network (AHN), the largest dialysis chain in the region, and Lapaire Glasses, which provides affordable eye care across six African countries.
By funding Hewatele, AfricInvest is not just investing in a single company but in a piece of critical infrastructure that promises to build resilience in East Africa’s health systems for years to come.