Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) has announced three major healthtech partnerships during its third Access to Markets (A2M) event.
Each partnership focuses on improving access to essential health services and strengthening health systems in key markets across Africa.
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One of the headline collaborations is between MSD and MYDAWA. The two companies will work together to expand MYDAWA’s concierge health services with a strong emphasis on cervical cancer elimination efforts. The initiative will support at-home and in-clinic service options, online booking tools, and educational counselling for patients. MSD will contribute technical and business expertise. The partners note that the collaboration centers on access to information and services, and does not involve supplying or promoting any medicinal products that are not registered.
Dr. Priya Agrawal, Vice President for International Health Equity and Partnerships at MSD, said the partnership demonstrates how regional and global innovators can work together to improve access to healthcare. She noted that meeting communities where they are, supported by technology and patient centered models, will help reduce barriers to care.
Another key partnership announced at A2M is a Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), and Sproxil. The collaboration focuses on improving malaria diagnosis and treatment access through Sproxil’s test to treat model and AI powered surveillance tools. Sproxil’s platform will generate real time data from pharmacies and patent medicine vendors to support disease tracking, distribution monitoring, and accountability. The initiative is aligned with Nigeria’s malaria reduction goals, which target a prevalence rate below 10 percent and a steep drop in malaria related deaths.
Dr. Ashifi Gogo, Founder and CEO of Sproxil, said the agreement highlights the impact of African led digital health solutions and their ability to transform epidemiological intelligence while ensuring affordable treatments reach the communities that need them most.
Boehringer Ingelheim also used the event to highlight new investments from its Social Engagement Fund. The pharmaceutical company has backed three startups building the future of pharmacy access across Africa. The beneficiaries include Dawa Mkononi, Kasha, and Reach52. Dr. Ilka Wicke, Head of Sustainability Social, said the fund supports companies that understand local healthcare needs and can deliver sustainable, high impact solutions. She added that Boehringer Ingelheim aims to improve the lives of 50 million people globally by 2030.
This year’s A2M event featured 15 African healthtech startups whose products are already used by more than 66,000 healthcare providers across 12 countries. That reach is expected to grow to more than 167,000 providers by 2028. Since July, the program has facilitated more than 110 tailored introductions between startups and potential partners. These engagements have already produced 15 partnerships with a potential value of more than 20 million dollars, with new connections advancing at a pace of more than one per week.
The event also attracted 41 investors, manufacturers, donors, and multilateral agencies. Organisations represented included the IFC, World Bank, Grand Challenges Canada, Pfizer, and i3 sponsoring partners such as the Gates Foundation, Cencora, Endless Health, HELP Logistics, Sanofi, MSD, and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Oladunni Lawal, Investing in Innovation Lead, said the A2M platform continues to play a critical role in connecting African healthtech innovators with partners that can help them grow. She noted that the more than 100 meetings held this year and the three new deals announced during the event reflect the rapid progress being made in scaling digital health solutions across the continent.
i3 says it remains focused on building a sustainable and digitally enabled future for African healthcare. The organisation’s mission is to support locally driven innovation through high impact partnerships with global and regional actors, ensuring solutions can scale and deliver lasting benefits to communities across the continent.
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