Kenyan e-health and fitness startup Zuri raises $1.3m pre-seed to grow product or service, launch in new marketplaces

Kenyan e-well being startup Zuri Wellness has elevated a US$1.3 million pre-seed spherical of funding to mature its product choices and grow into new marketplaces.

Disrupt Africa documented in January 2021 on the launch of Zuri Health, a virtual, cellular-first, on-demand healthcare platform that assists sufferers immediately and quickly obtain health care from licensed health care vendors, based mostly on availability, site, and specialisation. 

The startup at first released in Kenya but is now also current in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia. It has partnered with 16 significant mobile community operators with around 400,000 SMS subscribers, and has more than 300 medical professionals, 27 lab and diagnostic centres and 15 pharmacies on its platform.

Zuri has now captivated US$1.3 million in pre-seed financial investment from DOB Fairness, Start Africa Ventures, Founders Manufacturing unit Africa, V8 Capital, Platform Money, Villgro Africa, Asime Ventures, and the Salik Spouse and children Belief as it strategies growth across Africa. The funding will be used to further more make out its digital system, improve its products offerings, and start operations in new marketplaces.

“We are pushed by the affect our company could have – to be a solution to Africa’s lack of ample health care. Health care infrastructure in most areas of Africa is grossly inadequate, with painfully higher doctor-individual ratios. There are quite a few Africans who are not able to find the money for healthcare services or who stay too much away from healthcare amenities. And with proficient health care employees significantly leaving Africa for greener pastures, the situation is worsening,” said Ikechukwu Anoke, CEO and founder of Zuri Wellness.

“We have a burning want to democratise health care access and harness the energy of technological innovation to deliver high-quality, to start with-tier healthcare providers.” 

Zachariah George, controlling husband or wife at Launch Africa Ventures, reported his firm thought in the Zuri team’s capacity to blaze a path in African e-health.

“Zuri Wellbeing shows remarkable potential to scale throughout the continent and democratise access to healthcare,” he claimed.

Dr Akintoye Akindele, chairman of System Money, will be a part of the Zuri board, and said he appeared forward to operating closely with the group to change access to healthcare.

“We believe that Anoke, Isiaho and the Zuri Health crew have produced a platform that addresses the significant health care infrastructure hole that exists on the continent and has the potential to make sure obtain to economical health care care for each individual African,” he reported.