KENYA— Zuri Health, a digital health platform, has received an undisclosed investment package from, female-focused early-stage venture capital firm, Five-35 Ventures.
With the backing of Five35 Ventures, Zuri Health is poised to make significant strides in the digital health landscape, reshaping the future of healthcare delivery and improving outcomes for individuals worldwide.
Launched in 2021, Zuri Health provides its mass-market customers with affordable, convenient, and quality healthcare services via SMS, WhatsApp, and a dedicated app.
Though it started in Kenya, its service is now available in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Their digital platform offers a comprehensive suite of health services, empowering users to take control of their well-being through innovative technology and expert guidance.
The Five35 Ventures is known for its astute investments in disruptive startups, and the decision to invest in Zuri Health further demonstrates their confidence in the company’s vision and potential.
By backing Zuri Health, a telemedicine company, Five35 Ventures seeks to fuel the growth and expansion of the digital health platform, enabling it to reach a wider audience and make a lasting impact on global healthcare delivery.
Titilola Olaolu-Hassan, Co-Founder of Zuri Health, expressed, “We are thrilled to have the support of Five35 Ventures in our journey to transform healthcare. This investment will enable us to scale our platform and bring our innovative health services to more people in need.”
Olaolu-Hassan said that with the backing of Five35 Ventures, Zuri was confident in its ability to revolutionize how healthcare is accessed and experienced worldwide.
Moreover, the founder added that digital health solutions like Zuri Health’s platform have become increasingly vital in providing convenient and efficient healthcare services as the healthcare landscape evolves.
Zuri Health is a virtual hospital providing quality affordable and accessible healthcare services to patients across Sub-Saharan Africa via mobile app, website, and SMS service.
Through the app, patients can chat and consult with doctors, buy medication from a pharmacy, book labs, and diagnostic tests, and have a doctor visit them at home.
Believing in Female-led, Female-managed, and Female-impacted startups
Five-35 Ventures has a decade-long track record of venture building alongside some of the smartest female-led founding teams in Africa.
The Joburg-based venture capital firm’s principal philosophy is to engage with a diversified portfolio of female-led, female-managed, and female-impacted companies.
“The investment from Five35 Ventures will help the company expand its reach and enhance its technological infrastructure and attract top talent to accelerate product development and innovation,” Olaolu-Hassan added.
Hema Vallabh, founding Partner at Five35 Ventures conveyed her excitement on the announcement “We are excited to join forces with Zuri Health and support their mission of democratizing healthcare through digital innovation.”
Vallabh noted that Zuri Health’s team has demonstrated exceptional expertise and dedication in developing a platform that addressed the evolving needs of patients and healthcare providers.
“We look forward to partnering with them to revolutionize how people access and experience healthcare services,” Vallabh reiterated.
Five35 Ventures is a leading gender-lens venture capital firm that invests in transformative tech-enabled companies in Africa.
Moreover, Five35 recognizes that with less than 5% of all Venture Capital investing landing in the hands of female entrepreneurs, the time is now that we act to level the playing field and create a sustainable impact for female entrepreneurs in Africa.
Additionally, Five35 believes that female-led startups can deliver 35% more ROI when given access to the right capital, networks, and partnerships.
Subsequently, they focus on disruptive innovation, the fund aims to drive positive change in the healthcare industry by supporting visionary entrepreneurs and empowering the development of cutting-edge solutions.
Some of the other tech startups the firm is backing include Africa Foresight group, Bitmama, Buupass, Complete farmer., digs., insight by experts, Kasha, LNKO, LocumBase, maxicash, motherbeing, pricepally.com, & Shuttlers.
Building and maintaining a healthy buzz
The investment from Five35 comes months after Moroccan-based UM6P Ventures invested an undisclosed amount in Zuri Health to support its growth and expansion across Africa.
Last year, in May, the e-health platform announced that it had closed a $1.3 million pre-seed funding round with investments from DOB Equity, Launch Africa, and Founders Factory Africa.
Zuri Health has so far recruited more than 600 physicians to its platform and formed partnerships with over 16 pharmacies and 29 laboratories, such as PharmaPlus and Ilara Health.
Through these collaborations, Zuri Health has received over 10,000 lab and pharmacy orders and 24,000 interactions with its WhatsApp Bot.
Since its creation, Zuri Health has received 19 awards and accolades, including being the winner of the Villgro Africa Healthcare Innovation Challenge in partnership with Johnson and Johnson Impact Ventures to assist healthcare professionals and winning the SANKALP Awards 2022.
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