Lagos, Nigeria — Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) held its 3rd flagship Access to Markets (A2M) event, a two-day gathering designed to connect Africa's most promising healthtech companies with strategic partners who can accelerate their commercialization, scale, and impact through contracts, pilots, partnerships, and investments. 

On the opening day, i3 announced 3 new transformative deals between leading African healthtech startups and global manufacturers—collaborations that will advance cervical cancer prevention, pharmacy-based access, and malaria care. 

MSD and MYDAWA unveiled a collaboration* aimed at supporting MYDAWA in enhancing their concierge channel services to strengthen efforts related to cervical cancer elimination. Through this initiative, MYDAWA will expand access to health-related services, such as at-home and in-clinic options, supported by online booking tools and educational counselling. MSD’s contribution focuses on business and technical expertise, which demonstrates how a collaboration between regional and global innovators can develop new healthcare solutions to people through novel, patient-centered models that help reduce barriers to accessing healthcare.

*This initiative is centered on improving access to information and services. It does not involve the supply, promotion or distribution of any vaccines or medicinal products that are not registered.

“We’re excited to support MYDAWA in improving access to healthcare, powered by purpose and technology. Together, we’re meeting communities where they are, forging new paths for patient access and creating health markets. This is how we break down barriers across Africa—through collaborations that enable sustainable and scalable solutions,” said Dr. Priya Agrawal, Vice President, International Health Equity and Partnerships, MSD. 

  • A Memorandum of Understanding between Nigeria's National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) under the Federal Ministry of Health, and Sproxil to combat malaria by improving access to diagnostics and treatments. The partnership leverages Sproxil’s test-to-treat model and AI-powered malaria surveillance to provide real-time data from pharmacies and patent medicine vendors, enabling collaboration with pharmaceutical manufacturers and giving NMEP insights to track distribution, monitor disease patterns, and ensure accountability. This initiative supports Nigeria’s targets of reducing malaria prevalence to below 10% and malaria-related deaths to under 50 per 1,000 live births.

Commenting on the partnership with PVAC and NMEP, Dr. Ashifi Gogo, CEO and Founder of Sproxil said: "We are honored to partner with Nigeria's National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the Presidential Initiative For Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) in deploying AI-enhanced surveillance infrastructure that transforms every consumer product verification into timely epidemiological intelligence. This partnership demonstrates that African-led solutions, when properly supported, can drive continental health transformation while ensuring affordable anti-malarials reach the children and families who need them most."

  • Boehringer Ingelheim’s Social Engagement Fund celebrated recent investments in 3 companies driving the future of pharmacy across Africa: Dawa Mkononi (a member of the latest i3 cohort), Kasha, and Reach52.

“We are delighted to invest in three additional startups that deliver a strong impact to communities across Africa,” says Dr. Ilka Wicke, Head of Sustainability Social. “These partnerships reflect our belief that sustainable healthcare solutions are best built through collaboration – with local innovators who understand the needs on the ground and with global partners who can help scale their vision. Together, we’re making meaningful progress toward our goal of improving the lives of 50 million people by 2030. We’re thrilled to celebrate progress with our partners who share this vision across the i3 program.”

Since July, i3 has been working closely with leading innovators focused on the future of pharmacy care in Africa – Chefaa, Dawa Mkononi, Meditect, mPharma, MYDAWA, Sproxil and Zuri Health–  completing more than 110 bespoke introductions to customers and investors, generating 15 partnerships with a potential value exceeding $20 million. At an unprecedented pace of more than one advancing partnership per week, i3 continues to deliver best-in-class growth advisory support to African healthtech innovators. 

This year’s A2M brought together 15 leading African healthtech startups, whose innovations already power more than 66,000 healthcare providers across 12 African countries and are on track to reach over 167,000 providers by 2028, demonstrating a powerful channel for improving patient access and strengthening health systems.

A2M also convened 41 prominent investors, global and regional pharmaceutical manufacturers, donors, development finance institutions, and multilateral agencies—including Grand Challenges Canada, IFC, World Bank, Pfizer, Causal Foundry, Proqurable, Federal Ministry of Health, PVAC, and i3’s sponsors—who are all working to accelerate scalable innovations, create jobs, and expand healthcare impact across the continent. 

“Leading healthtech startups are an increasingly powerful force across Africa, reshaping the continent’s healthcare landscape. Through Access to Markets, these innovators are linked with strategic, high-impact partners across industry, government, donors, and global health agencies, enabling them to better scale their solutions. This approach is rapidly delivering tangible results, as evidenced by the more than 100 meetings being held at this year’s event and the 3 deals announced today,” said Oladunni Lawal, Investing in Innovation Lead. 

The event program also includes senior government participation, notably keynote speaker Dr. Abdu Mukhtar, National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Chain, and Dr. Leke Ojewale, Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Health for Nigeria.

Through initiatives like A2M, i3 is helping build a sustainable, digitally enabled future for African healthcare–one where locally led innovation, supported by global and regional partnerships, drives lasting impact at scale. i3 is supported by dedicated sponsors – the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora, Endless Health, HELP Logistics, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingelheim.

For additional information, please contact  Salient@wimbart.com 

About i3

Launched in 2022, the Investing in Innovation (i3) program is a pan-African initiative aiming to support African healthtech start-ups to commercialize and scale their offerings, by connecting them to a global network of donors, governments, and the private sector to champion both economic and health outcomes. i3 is funded by the Gates Foundation, and sponsored by MSD, Cencora, Endless Health, HELP Logistics, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingleheim.

About the Gates Foundation 

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential. In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone—especially those with the fewest resources—has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. https://www.gatesfoundation.org/  

About MSD 

At MSD, known as Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA in the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than 130 years, we have brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. We aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world – and today, we are at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. We foster a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. For more information, visit www.msd.com and connect with us on X (formerly Twitter) , LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Cencora 

Formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, Cencora is a leading global pharmaceutical solutions organization centered on improving the lives of people and animals around the world. Cencora partners with pharmaceutical innovators across the value chain to facilitate and optimize market access to therapies. Care providers depend on Cencora for the secure, reliable delivery of pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and solutions. Cencora’s 46,000+ worldwide team members contribute to positive health outcomes through the power of Cencora’s purpose: Cencora is united in its responsibility to create healthier futures. Cencora is ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 and #18 on the Global Fortune 500 with more than $290 billion in annual revenue. Learn more at http://cencora.com. 

About Endless Health 

Focused on empowering communities through holistic and integrated primary care, Endless Health makes catalytic investments in innovative tools and interventions that enhance healthcare access and outcomes, such as enabling patients and frontline providers with AI, engaging pharmacies in primary care, and aligning provider incentives with patient-centered measures of experience and outcomes. Their mission is to bridge healthcare gaps worldwide by leveraging technology to create sustainable, inclusive health systems. Learn more at https://www.endlessnetwork.com/initiative-health.html  

About HELP Logistics 

As a unique non-profit subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation, HELP Logistics AG has been advancing logistics excellence in the humanitarian and development sectors since 2014. Headquartered in Switzerland, we operate across the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Our mission is to act as a global catalyst for advancing supply chain and logistics expertise to enhance the lives, opportunities, and resilience of people, communities, and economies worldwide. For more information, visit: https://www.help-logistics.org 

About Sanofi’s Global Health Unit 

Sanofi’s Global Health Unit is a pioneering, not-for-profit social business model with a mission to improve the lives of underserved populations in 40 countries with the highest unmet medical needs. We achieve this through innovative, inclusive healthcare models and partnerships, delivering a sustainable impact. Established in 2022, the Impact Investment Fund is focused on supporting the scale-up of businesses to improve access to healthcare by supporting startup companies and other innovators who can deliver scalable solutions for healthcare in underserved regions. For more information, visit: https://www.impact.sanofi/. 

Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry’s top investors in research and development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies that can improve and extend lives in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. Our approximately 54,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier and more sustainable tomorrow. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com. 

About Salient Advisory 

Launched in 2020 with a globally distributed team in Kenya, Nigeria and Canada, Salient Advisory helps changemakers enact transformative approaches to health. The company analyses and supports partnerships to use technology and innovations, adapt policy and financing, and elevate unheard voices to change global conversations and transform access to care. Learn more at https://www.salientadvisory.com/. 

About SCIDaR 

SCIDaR is an indigenous, Nigeria-based health systems consulting and implementation non-profit organisation that works with governments, development organisations, and the private sector to optimise population health outcomes. It applies proven business and market-shaping techniques and utilises its relationships and understanding of Africa's public and private sector health system actors to ensure sustainable impact. Learn more at https://scidar.org/.

About Chefaa

Chefaa is an AI-powered GPS enabled platform which enables patients to order, schedule and refill their prescriptions across Egypt. Orders can be fulfilled in 90 minutes through partner pharmacies or pre-scheduled at discounted prices. Differentiates itself through medication guides, medication reminders and telepharmacy services. Chefaa also provides data and insights for pharma companies, insurance and BNPL offerings to retail pharmacies. Learn more at www.chefaa.health.

About Dawa Mkononi

Dawa Mkononi is a B2B pharmaceutical supply chain platform leveraging technology and embedded financing to streamline medicine distribution for drug shops, pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals. Differentiates itself through AI-driven demand forecasting, real-time inventory tracking, and a buy-now-pay-later model powered by an in-house credit scoring system, ensuring fast, affordable, and compliant medicine procurement. Learn more at www.dawamkononi.co.tz.

About mPharma

mPharma enables access to health products through a vast chain of retail pharmacies operating across 8 countries. For providers, mPharma provides inventory management services, ensuring availability of quality medicines. For patients, mPharma provides a range of primary care services, leveraging nurses, physicians, and pharmacists. Learn more at www.mpharma.com.

About MYDAWA

MYDAWA is a hybrid digital and physical healthcare platform operating a bricks-and-clicks model to provide medications, teleconsultations, diagnostics, and insurance-integrated healthcare. Differentiates itself through vertically integrated generics manufacturing, which drives lower costs (up to 30%) and ensures quality, making healthcare more affordable and accessible. Learn more at www.mydawa.com.

About Meditect

Meditect is a B2B SaaS platform digitizing pharmacy management and data-driven healthcare analytics across Francophone Africa. Differentiates itself through cloud-based pharmacy management software, AI-powered credit scoring for instant financing, and data monetization for pharmaceutical companies and public health organizations. Learn more at www.meditect.com.

About Sproxil

Sproxil started as a mobile-based drug authentication platform tackling counterfeit medicines but has evolved into a comprehensive healthtech solution. In addition to its product protection and visibility offerings, it now provides real-time pharmaceutical market data (Sproxil Surveys), an AI-powered patient engagement platform (AISHA), and tech-driven accountability systems to improve supply chain transparency, medication safety, and public health decision-making. Learn more at www.sproxil.com.

About Zuri Health 

Zuri Health is a virtual hospital and full-service telemedicine platform that delivers on-demand care through its mobile app, website, WhatsApp chatbot, and SMS. Patients speak with licensed doctors, order medicines through an integrated online pharmacy, and receive doorstep delivery. They book lab and diagnostic tests, get samples collected at home, and share results with clinicians for follow up. The platform also supports home visits and structured chronic care programs, giving patients continuous, coordinated support outside traditional facilities. Zuri Health’s model brings a complete primary care experience into a single, easy-to-use digital service. Learn more at https://zuri.health/