Kenyan healthtech startup, Afya Rekod, raises $2M in seed funding

Kenyan based healthtech startup, Afya Rekod, has raised $2 million (R30 608 600,00) in seed funding. The round was led by Mac Venture Capital, a US based seed-stage venture capital firm that invests in technology startups leveraging shifts in cultural trends and behaviors. Other participants include Next Chymia an Asian private firm that focuses on blockchain based companies.

Afya Rekod is a decentralised, patient driven health data storage platform built on AI and Blockchain technology that allows users to store their health records, the medication they take, run symptom checks, as well as keep a regular journal on the status of their health and that of their families, access first line consultation from certified doctors and verified health content and information.

The platform has seen interest from various health parties in Africa, Europe, Asia and the United States increase significantly since its launch in April 2020. Amidst the pandemic outbreak, health data has become one of the most urgent issues for health management globally.

A total of US$61.982 million was raised by African healthtech companies in H1 2021 across a total of 15 deals.

For providers, the platform has multiple functionalities like hospital management, patient management, knowledge management and inventory management. For patients, the platform enables recording of health data and provides access to medical intervention. Additionally, the platform aggregates information on pharmacies and other key resources to allow easy accessibility.

Afya Rekod founder, John Kamara said, “For the past one and a half years, we’ve singularly focused on building a dynamic platform that streamlines health records with analytics and provides access to specialised clinics and experts. This delivers high quality healthcare in a way that is critical for this moment. We are very excited about this investment as it will help us grow in key markets in our journey to become the leading patient mobility focused health platform in the world. Our mission is to empower patients by giving them access to their health data and to connect with the health ecosystem including hospitals, pharmacies, insurance and beyond.”

“This investment will help us scale in other markets in Africa and accelerate the launch of our patient portal. This will give patients resources and tools to store and manage their health data, a critical function for patients with chronic illnesses, and their doctors,” further stated Kamara.

“One of the things we liked most about Afya Rekod was its commitment to patient centered health innovation and how it addresses the gaps of current healthcare issues. The pandemic has pressed the fast-forward button, bringing an urgency into health data accessibility and analytics. This is a global problem that can be addressed by innovative private companies like Afya Rekod. We’re thrilled to partner with the team to tackle this challenging problem in healthcare,” said Marlon Nichols, Founding Managing Partner of MaC Venture Capital.

Afya Rekod has over 150,000 users in 5 countries and is accessed via an app (currently only on Android with an iOS app “coming soon”) and the web. Key partnerships include The Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya (AOSK) with over 500 hospitals across Kenya; Healthy Mind Foundation to train psychiatrists in Lagos Nigeria; and Alchemy in South Africa to onboard private and public hospitals in Southern Africa.

“We are very proud to see one of our flagship startups, Afya Rekod, growing its impact globally. We’re set out to build disruptive technology that will solve some of the most pertinent challenges in Africa and beyond, and health is one of the sectors that requires a multitude of interventions to improve quality access. We strongly believe in Afya Rekod’s mission and as we continue to support the company we are confident that the impact it will create will be phenomenal,” said Irene Kiwia, Co-Founder and CGO, Adanian Labs.

Read more: Cape healthtech iNNOHEALTH raises seven-figure seed capital

Read more: Nigerian healthtech platform 54gene secures $25-million

Featured image: SergeyBitos on Adobe Stock