SOUTH AFRICA— A promising Health Management Organisation (HMO) tech start-up, HealthDart, has been chosen to be part of the Google for Start-ups Black Founders Fund 2023 cohort.
Google made the announcement that they had been selected for the third cohort of the Google Black Founders Fund.
The U$4 million fund seeks to help tackle systemic racial inequality in venture capital (VC) funding by providing equity-free grants and mentoring to early-stage, Black-led, and high-growth businesses across Africa and Europe.
The 2023 cohort consists of 25 African startups that were selected, of which 72% are led or co-founded by women.
Of the 25, three are from South Africa—Excel@Uni, HealthDart, and ZinaCare.
HealthDart, a promising start-up based in South Africa, is dedicated to revolutionizing the national healthcare system by implementing technology-driven solutions.
By leveraging technology, HealthDart enables patients to save up to 70% on medication and primary health.
Based in Johannesburg, it has received significant buzz and corresponding support from startup camps such as Founders Factory Africa, an early-stage investor.
The start-up selection to be part of the Google for Start-ups Black Founders Fund 2023 cohort is a fete that will allow it to expand and grow exponentially.
Being included in this cohort provides HealthDart with several benefits and resources.
The start-up will receive up to US$150,000 in non-dilutive cash awards and US$200,000 in care costs while receiving appropriate treatment for their health issues.
Additionally, HealthDart will receive support for Google Ads and have access to one-on-one mentoring from Google employees and industry experts.
Njabulo Skhosana, the co-founder and CEO of HealthDart, has embarked on a remarkable journey, transitioning from being a healthcare scientist to an innovative entrepreneur dedicated to transforming the healthcare industry.
Skhosana explains that Health Dart’s mission is to ensure that individuals receive appropriate healthcare that is both accessible and affordable.
To achieve this, the start-up introduced an AI-powered chatbot last year. The chatbot assists users in finding the most suitable healthcare providers based on their specific needs.
The start-up offers digital consultations with doctors and nurses, convenient appointment booking, prescription uploads, and medication deliveries.
All these services are facilitated through in-app payments, providing users with a seamless and integrated healthcare experience.
“Our mission is to improve access to quality healthcare and medication by leveraging digital pharmacy, telemedicine, and health insurance integrations,” Skhosana asserted.
Leveraging technology to solve South Africa healthcare issues
The tech CEO noted that inefficiencies within the public healthcare system in the country, such as long waiting lists and time-consuming clinic queues, have been a persistent issue.
In an interview with TechCabal, Skhosana reported that fifty percent of South Africans report visiting a pharmacy at least once a month, and 30% of adults are on chronic medication.
However, accessing medication and enabling health consultations are often costly and inefficient processes.
Moreover, even the private sector, although providing faster services, still faces its own set of inefficiencies.
This challenging scenario paved the way for HealthDart, an initiative that seeks to transform healthcare delivery by leveraging various technologies, including Artificial Intelligence.
For Skhosana, it hasn’t been smooth sailing addressing these problems.
“One of the key challenges was identifying the most effective approach to streamlining access to medication and healthcare consultations,” Skhosana told TechCabal.
Skhosana emphasizes that HealthDart’s goal extends beyond facilitating patient interactions with the healthcare system.
However, Skhosana acknowledges that digital healthcare is still in its early stages in South Africa.
Skhosana believes that despite the country’s population of 60 million, the number of individuals actively utilizing virtual healthcare services regularly is likely to be small, estimating it to be less than a hundred thousand.
Njabulo Skhosana also envisions future partnerships with medical aid schemes and insurers, as they stand to benefit from the efficiency and effectiveness that HealthDart’s services can provide.
With its vision of leveraging technology and the support of Google, HealthDart is well-positioned to bring about transformative changes in South Africa’s healthcare landscape.
Skhosana is determined to deliver a more efficient, cost-effective, and improved healthcare experience for the people of South Africa, potentially extending its impact to the broader African continent.
Through its tech-enabled approach, HealthDart has the potential to make a significant difference in healthcare accessibility and quality.
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