Founders Factory Africa, Netcare to help 35 healthtech startups scale across Africa

Venture builder and accelerator Founders Factory Africa and SA healthcare provider Netcare have partnered to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to build and scale 35 healthcare startups across Africa.

Under the new partnership, which the two announced in a joint statement yesterday (27 June), African healthtech startups will be able to apply to join Founders Factory’s six month accelerator programme. Those without an existing business will be able to join Founders Factory’s incubator to build a new concept from scratch.

It is not yet clear which other African countries will fall under the focus of the partnership.

In October last year, Joburg based Founders Factory Africa announced that it aims to build 100 tech startups across Africa over the next five years (see this story).

Netcare will also work together with Founders Factory Africa investor Standard Bank to cross-collaborate across fintech and healthtech

Founders Factory Africa’s team of 40 digital and technical experts in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lagos and London will help startups with product development, user experience (UX), user interface (UI), engineering, investment, business development and growth marketing.

This, while Netcare will provide access for entrepreneurs to hospitals, primary healthcare clinics and healthcare value chains, deep health technical expertise, data and intellectual property.

These resources and expertise will deliver a significant advantage to the businesses in which Founders Factory Africa and Netcare select to invest in and scale.

Netcare will also have the opportunity to continue investing in the new health ventures once their value propositions are proven.

In addition, Netcare will also work together with Founders Factory Africa’s initial investor Standard Bank to cross-collaborate across fintech and healthtech.

Netcare Group CEO Richard Friedland (pictured above), commenting in the same statement, said the initiative enables the company to stimulate healthcare innovation and development in South Africa and across the rest of the continent.

Founders Factory Africa CEO and co-founder Roo Rogers said the two companies aim to unlock “groundbreaking opportunities” accessible affordable healthcare.

In addition to the corporate and hands-on support from Founders Factory Africa, participating startups will have access to global capital, talent and knowledge transfer through the Founders’ group.

The group includes Founder Factory in the UK, a network of entrepreneurs, investors, corporates and successful startups across Africa, Europe, the UK and the US.

In April the accelerator and incubator  selected five African fintech startups for its six month acceleration programme and for investments of up to $40 000 each (see this story).

The five are Ugandan media and research firm Digest Africa, Nigerian school financing solution Schoolable, Kenyan lending marketplace LipaLater, Nigerian peer-to-peer leasing platform Eazyhire and Ghanaian retail solutions provider Kudigo.

Read more: Founders Factory Africa selects five African fintech startups for accelerator, $40k investment
Read more: We’re no Rocket Internet says Founders Factory Africa head
Read more: Founders Factory to build 100 tech startups across Africa in next five years 

Featured image: Netcare Group CEO Richard Friedland (Netcare)