i3 Opens Applications For Third African Healthtech Cohort

Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative aimed at supporting African healthtech startups to commercialize and expand their solutions is now accepting applications for its third cohort. Funded by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics, Sanofi’s Global Health Unit, and Chemonics, the program provides startups with grants, customer introductions, and guidance for forming partnerships.

i3 will support a total of 15 startups for the cohort, including 10 early-stage startups innovating in healthcare delivery or product distribution and five growth-stage startups building the future of pharmacy care. Following news of the US State Department’s January 25 “stop-work” directive on foreign aid, which is likely to impact the distribution of essential medicines across the continent, i3 has said that it will prioritize immediate support for 5-7 growth-stage companies building the future of pharmacy care in Africa. 

Each company participating in the third cohort will receive up to $225,000 in grant funding. Support for early-stage companies will be considered later.

The program will also facilitate 150 connections with healthcare organizations, valued at over $30 million, to improve patient access and create jobs. Applications are open until February 28, and selected startups will be announced on April 30. A virtual question and answer session will be held on February 21 for applicants. 

Since its launch two years ago, i3 has supported 60 startups in 16 African countries, including 43 percent women-led and 20 percent Francophone-led ventures. The program has provided $3 million in grants, facilitated 450 connections, and contributed to over $11 million in partnerships, as well as job creation, with half of the jobs filled by women. 

Previous i3 cohorts included several North African startups, including Egypt’s Chefaa, Ultrateb, and Grinta. Other beneficiaries include Morocco’s Chari Pharma, Sobrus, Medevice, and Deep Echo, as well as Tunisia’s Cure Bionics. Each startup received $50,000 in grant funding and gained access to key partners through tailored introductions. They also benefited from support provided by Impact Lab, a Casablanca-based accelerator, which offered learning sessions, coaching, mentorship, and investment readiness assistance. i3 program organizers told Inc. Arabia that some of the selected startups from North Africa reported the highest revenue growth during the program, exceeding 80 percent, which included creating new jobs and expanding their operations both locally and internationally. 

Coordinated by Salient Advisory and the Solina Center for Research and Development (SCIDaR), i3 works with African tech hubs like CcHUB and Villgro Africa, which will manage the selection process with input from a panel of experts. 

In a statement, the CEO of SCIDaR, Uchenna Igbokwe, said, “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, commented, “We partnered with the Nigerian government to track over 200 million 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. 

Interested startups can apply here.

Photo includes startup founders from a previous cohort of the i3 program. Courtesy of i3.