African Women Innovating in Health Care

Category
Spotlight
Pillar
Health Entrepreneurship
  • FemSTEM Africa offers female health entrepreneurs a platform to share experiences, tackle challenges, and pitch their ventures to investors  
  • It is a key initiative of the Africa Health Collaborative, supporting women in healthcare innovation. 

This year, FemSTEM Africa engaged over 200 health innovators and enthusiasts through a series of events, concluding in a pitch competition and interactions with seasoned entrepreneurs. The five-part event series was organized by the University of Toronto’s Health Innovation Hub (H2i) in partnership with Social Enterprise (SE) Ghana, Sustineri Attorneys,  supported by funding from the Mastercard Foundation. 

The event series is a key initiative of the Africa Health Collaborative to celebrate, engage, and showcase women entrepreneurs in the health sector across Africa.  In addition to showcasing female-led health ventures, the series provided a platform for women innovators in health to discuss successes, challenges, and strategies for succeeding in the health sector. 

Expressing his enthusiasm about the series, SE Ghana Executive Director, Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, said, “Social Enterprise Ghana is excited to be part of the African Health Collaborative’s FemSTEM Africa Series that provided a platform for female entrepreneurs across Africa to pitch their health start-ups to funders and investors and more importantly connect to learn and share the best practices necessary for developing impactful health start-ups.” 

Innovators Leading the Way 

The kickoff event featured founders Dr. Christelle Gireaneza (URUKUNDO Initiative), Dr. Nikita Muthuuri (Vectorgram Health) and Sylvia Nyaga (Syna Consultancy), who were part of the 2022 HENT-African Impact Challenge cohort. They shared insights on clinical validation, marketing strategies, and the importance of mentorship while also reflecting on overcoming cultural and patriarchal barriers in areas like women’s health, reproductive health, sexual education, and sanitation. 

Throughout May, the fireside chats welcomed seasoned founders Elsie Amoako (Mino Care), Elizabeth Johnson (Medical Tourism Africa) and Anna Ampaw (EFeMS) for candid conversations moderated by esteemed guests. These discussions covered team building, trust in the medical space, intellectual property, compliance, data privacy and more.  Each entrepreneur shared their unique journey, the inspirations that drive them, and how they found community and support. 

Showcasing Ingenuity: FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition 

The series concluded in June, with the FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition. Six finalists – A-Lite Uganda Ltd, Eudio Mobile, PlyChain, PUMZI Devices Uganda Ltd, Remedius Mobile Health and URUKUNDO Initiative – all competed for CAD 25,000 in cash prizes and CAD 15,000 in in-kind legal services. The finalists represented a diverse range of countries, including Uganda, South Africa, Rwanda, and Nigeria, and came from prestigious universities like the University of Cape Town, KNUST, University of Lagos, Stellenbosch University, and the University of Global Health Equity. 

Judges Adwoa Birago Nyantakyi, Grace Almendras-Castillo, Leah Nduati and Monica Kahindo awarded the top prize to URUKUNDO Initiative with PUMZI Devices and PlyChain as runners-up. (Learn more about the three winning companies and their reflections on the event here!) 

Adwoa Birago Nyantakyi, a judge and Sustineri Attorneys representative said, “The FemSTEM Africa Pitch Competition was a remarkable showcase of ingenuity and determination of female-led ventures within the health sector. In a world that has historically undervalued and overlooked the contributions of women, this competition served as a clarion call for increased support and investment in these life-changing ideas championed by females.” 

The Africa Health Collaborative is dedicated to transforming healthcare in Africa through entrepreneurship, with a strong focus on empowering women innovators. This initiative highlights the collaborative efforts of partners like SE Ghana, Sustineri Attorneys, H2i, and the Mastercard Foundation, who play crucial roles in nurturing the next generation of female entrepreneurs. Together, they provide platforms, resources, and mentorship that enable these innovators to overcome barriers and bring impactful health solutions to life, furthering the mission to enhance healthcare across the continent.  

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