CAMEROON – Cameroonian e-health startup Waspito has closed a US$2.7m seed funding round which will be used to it grow its client base in its home market and launch operations in Ivory Coast.
The US$2.7 million seed round saw the participation of Launch Africa Ventures, Newtown Partners via the Imperial Venture Fund, BLOC Smart Africa managed by Bamboo Capital Partners alongside investors like Orange Ventures, Saviu Ventures, Plug and Play and BringCom.
Waspito was founded by Jean Lobe Lobe in 2020 to connect users with medical doctors or other healthcare professional remotely via instant video calls from their smartphones.
The firm has a health-focused social network called the Waspito application where users can interact anonymously with medical doctors who provide preventive care tips and answers to questions.
The digital health company also provides mobile laboratory services via an available lab technician who collects samples from a user’s home and the results are delivered digitally.
It plans to expand its service offering in order to connect Africa’s health ecosystem online to relieve the shortage of medical doctors and other health system challenges across the African continent.
Waspito Founder Jean Lobe Lobe acknowledged that the pool of investors in the funding round will add value to startup as the firm continues striving to solve Africa’s health care accessibility and affordability problem.
Lobe also intends on changing his business model from charging commissions on medical consultations and drug purchases to monetizing his users’ data for advertisers in the pharmaceutical sector.
“The Waspito application makes it easier it for Africans with an internet connection to simply plug into the platform and gain access to quality health services and preventive healthcare information,” Lobe Lobe reaffirmed.
The social network platform has so far served over 15,000 patients and it plans to expand to 10 countries in the next four years.
It brings together several services like telemedicine, drug delivery and discussion groups where medical practitioners provide advice to users with the aim to prevent fatalities from diseases and to build a massive loyal audience.
The e-health startup has formed alliances with the big insurance companies and plans to set up operations in Gabon and Nigeria soon.
Previously, Waspito received about US$735,000 from the Oranges Ventures Middle East Africa Seed Challenge in June 2020 for early stage technology start-ups in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
Liked this article? Sign up to receive our regular email newsletters, focused on Africa and World’s healthcare industry, directly into your inbox. SUBSCRIBE HERE
