Seven African startups have been chosen by i3 for transforming pharmacy care, with the backing of the Gates Foundation and other significant investors.
The Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) program has announced the selection of seven African healthtech startups for its third cohort. These ventures, primarily focused on enhancing pharmacy access, digital healthcare solutions, and health service delivery improvements, are set to take part in the i3's Access to Markets event in December 2025.
One of the participating startups, Chefaa, specializes in pharmacy-focused innovation, aiming to improve access to medicines and health products. The i3 program, launched in 2022, is renowned for delivering substantial funding for African healthtech, supporting startups that bring affordable, high-quality health products and services closer to patients.
The innovations of these startups span a wide range, including last-mile delivery, AI-powered prescriptions, cloud pharmacy systems, and embedded financing. The goal is to make pharmacy care smarter, faster, and more accessible.
The i3 program has facilitated 122 contracts and pilots in its first two years, funding a total of 60 startups. The program aims to fund ventures that significantly improve healthcare accessibility and quality in Africa.
The Access to Markets event aims to forge 150 strategic partnerships and influence deals worth $30M. Each of the selected startups will receive up to $225,000 in grant funding, along with tailored support to grow their pharmacy-focused innovations.
The Gates Foundation, MSD, Sanofi, and others back the i3 program. MSD is committed to partnering with i3 to expand equitable healthcare access by investing in local healthcare businesses. The startups are operating across 19 countries, demonstrating the program's commitment to a wide-reaching impact.
Pharmacies are the first point of care for 70% of healthcare visits in many African countries. The i3 program's focus on pharmacy-focused innovations is timely, as these startups are building tech-driven tools to make medicine access more efficient, affordable, and widespread.
The i3 program's support extends beyond financial backing, with Sproxil's partnership with leading global life sciences and logistics companies encouraging as they scale their impact. The program's commitment to supporting innovative solutions that strengthen local health systems across Africa remains steadfast.
The i3 program has created nearly 1,000 jobs, with half going to women, reflecting its commitment to gender equality and inclusive growth. The third cohort of the i3 program promises to bring about significant strides in healthcare accessibility and quality in Africa.
- Science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in the ventures of the selected i3 program startups, as they endeavor to develop tech-driven solutions for efficient, affordable, and widespread medicine access, which aims to make pharmacy care smarter, faster, and more accessible.
- The i3 program, known for delivering substantial funding for African healthtech, continues to support startups that bring affordable, high-quality health products and services closer to patients, contributing significantly to the science and health-and-wellness sectors in Africa.
