The Fund for African Private Sector Assistance (FAPA), a facility of the African Development Bank Group, has announced the 2026 cohort of innovators selected to receive support under its program aimed at strengthening healthcare innovation across the continent.
The initiative brings together 15 companies developing health solutions in Africa. These innovators were drawn from five cohorts of the Home Grown Solutions (HGS) initiative. The program is funded by the African Development Bank, sponsored by the African Union Development Agency–NEPAD and co-implemented by Villgro Africa and Briter.
Through this support, the selected ventures will receive post-acceleration assistance designed to help them scale their innovations and expand their reach across African healthcare systems. The initiative focuses on ventures that are addressing some of the continent’s most pressing healthcare challenges, including access to medical services, diagnostic capacity, maternal health and digital health infrastructure.
By helping these companies grow and strengthen their operations, the program aims to improve healthcare delivery while supporting Africa’s growing health innovation ecosystem.
Supporting Healthcare Innovation Across Africa
The 2026 cohort reflects a broad geographic footprint, with companies operating across East, West, Southern and North Africa. Each venture brings a different solution designed to improve healthcare access, efficiency and patient outcomes.
Among the selected companies is Daktari Online, a continuing professional development platform based in Nairobi that allows healthcare providers to learn, connect and collaborate. The platform is accredited by several Kenyan medical bodies including the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists’ Council and the Nursing Council of Kenya.
JiJi Health is another participant focused on improving hospital management and healthcare operations. Its digital platforms, including Rafiki360 HMIS and Damu Sasa, support hospitals with patient management, blood services, inventory systems and data-driven decision making.
Africa Healthcare Network (AHN) is working to improve kidney care across the continent. The company operates more than 60 dialysis clinics and focuses on providing affordable and accessible kidney treatment to underserved communities.
The program also includes Tech Care for All (TC4A) Africa, which helps global health innovations scale within African healthcare systems. The organization focuses on adoption and implementation of digital health tools, AI-driven platforms and medical technologies.
Maternal health innovation is also represented in the cohort. MSCAN Uganda develops portable ultrasound technology designed for low-resource environments with the goal of improving early detection and reducing maternal mortality.
Afya Lead Limited is another health-tech company focused on maternal and community health. Its innovations include the Mama Salama Kit, Mkanda Salama and Pamoja Bima, which combine digital tools, medical devices and health financing solutions to improve access to care.
Expanding Access to Digital and Specialized Healthcare
Several companies in the cohort are focused on expanding digital healthcare services and specialized medical support across Africa.
CarePoint operates a tech-driven healthcare system across Egypt, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, focusing on identifying and managing healthcare brands that deliver patient-centered services at competitive costs.
BetaLife, a stem cell therapy company focused on regenerative medicine for diabetes, is developing advanced stem cell products aimed at improving treatment options for diabetes patients.
AfyA Care Nigeria invests in healthcare infrastructure and hospital capacity with the goal of making healthcare services more accessible and affordable in urban markets.
APEX Medical Laboratories is strengthening diagnostic services by expanding laboratory testing capabilities and providing interpretation of results to doctors and clinicians to support better patient management.
Digital healthcare services are also a major part of the initiative. OCLIYA provides online medical consultations, home-based physiotherapy services and access to healthcare professionals through a digital platform that aims to make healthcare faster and more affordable.
Rology, a teleradiology platform, addresses the shortage of radiologists by connecting hospitals with remote radiology specialists and using AI-enabled tools to deliver faster diagnostic reports.
The program also includes Appy People, an Angolan technology company focused on making essential information more accessible through mobile applications across sectors including healthcare.
Eyone Medical is building a connected healthcare ecosystem that links patients with hospitals, clinics, insurers and governments while enabling the secure sharing of medical data among healthcare professionals.
Finally, DeepEcho is developing artificial intelligence solutions that support medical diagnosis and help detect prenatal complications. The company focuses on reducing child mortality by using deep learning technology to identify risks such as preterm birth, low birth weight and birth defects.
Through the FAPA program, these 15 companies will receive strategic support aimed at strengthening their operations and expanding their impact. As these ventures grow, they are expected to play an important role in improving healthcare access, strengthening health systems and accelerating innovation across Africa.
