Zuri Health, a pioneering digital healthcare firm on a mission to revolutionize healthcare through cutting-edge technology, has reached a significant milestone in its quest for a healthier Africa. Marula Square, a venture capital company with a strong focus on supporting African entrepreneurs, has made a strategic investment in Zuri Health. This transformative partnership is set to unleash a healthcare technology revolution, bringing forth groundbreaking advancements in the region’s healthcare landscape.

Since its establishment in 2020, Zuri Health, co-founded by visionary entrepreneurs Daisy Isiaho, Ikechukwu Anoke, and Titilola Olaolu-Hassan, has been leading the way in digital innovation. The company’s comprehensive product offerings empower both patients and healthcare professionals, resulting in enhanced treatment outcomes and streamlined healthcare services across Africa.

With the strategic backing from Marula Square, Zuri Health is poised for accelerated growth, driving further development and expansion of its innovative healthcare solutions. This infusion of capital promises to usher in happier and healthier lives for countless individuals throughout the continent.

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Marula Square, spearheaded by Oxford University Executive MBA professionals, has consistently demonstrated its unwavering commitment to driving positive change in Africa and supporting sustainable enterprises. The investment in Zuri Health underscores the venture capital firm’s confidence in the company’s mission and its strong belief in the transformative potential of disruptive digital solutions in the healthcare domain.

“We are thrilled for Marula Square’s invaluable support,” said Ikechukwu Anoke, the visionary Founder and CEO of Zuri Health. “Their strategic guidance will be pivotal as we reshape healthcare delivery and drive innovation to tackle pressing healthcare challenges in Africa.”

Elvira De Jong, Co-founder, and Board Chair of Marula Square, echoed this sentiment, expressing unwavering confidence in Zuri Health’s potential. “We firmly believe in Zuri Health’s vision and are delighted to embark on this transformative journey towards a healthier future,” she stated.

The dynamic partnership between Marula Square and Zuri Health is poised to revolutionize the healthcare landscape in Africa. Leveraging Marula Square’s strategic investment and Zuri Health’s unwavering commitment to innovation, the two companies aim to pave the way for personalized and data-driven care, significantly impacting the lives of individuals across the continent.

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Zuri Health’s cutting-edge digital platform offers a comprehensive suite of health services, tailor-made to cater to individual needs worldwide. Harnessing advanced technology and expert guidance, the platform simplifies access to personalized healthcare solutions, democratizing healthcare and enhancing the overall healthcare experience for users.

With Marula Square’s strategic investment serving as a catalyst, the startup is embarking on an ambitious journey to reshape healthcare delivery, ushering in disruptive innovations tailored to address the unique challenges faced in the African healthcare landscape. As the companies join forces, the future of healthcare in Africa looks increasingly promising, characterized by personalized care and data-driven solutions.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

Five35 Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that specializes in investing in female-focused startups across various sectors, has recently announced a strategic investment in Zuri Health, a pioneering digital health platform. The investment amount was not disclosed. 

 Zuri Health’s primary goal is to provide accessible and personalized healthcare solutions to individuals worldwide through its digital platform. The platform offers a comprehensive suite of health services, utilizing innovative technology and expert guidance to empower users to take charge of their well-being.

The decision to invest in Zuri Health showcases Five35 Ventures’ confidence in the company’s vision and potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. By supporting the telemedicine company, Five35 Ventures aims to fuel the platform’s growth and expansion, enabling it to reach a broader audience and make a significant impact on global healthcare delivery.

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Co-Founder of Zuri Health, Titilola Olaolu-Hassan, expressed her excitement about the partnership, emphasizing that the investment would help scale their platform and bring innovative health services to more people in need. The backing of Five35 Ventures reinforces Zuri Health’s belief in their ability to transform how healthcare is accessed and experienced worldwide.

Why The Investor Invested

The investment made by Five35 Ventures in Zuri Health is based on several compelling reasons. Zuri Health has established itself as a trailblazing healthcare technology company, providing innovative solutions through its digital platform. The startup has demonstrated exceptional expertise and dedication in understanding and addressing the evolving needs of patients and healthcare providers. This expertise has instilled confidence in investors that Zuri Health has the potential to disrupt and transform the healthcare landscape.

Again, Zuri Health’s focus on democratizing healthcare aligns well with the investors’ mission to support transformative companies that drive positive change in the healthcare industry. By providing accessible and personalized healthcare solutions, Zuri Health is addressing a crucial gap in the market, and its potential for positive social impact makes it an attractive investment opportunity.

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Furthermore, Five35 Ventures recognizes the potential for global expansion and scalability of the startup’s platform. With the investment, the digital platform can enhance its technological infrastructure, attract top talent, and accelerate product development and innovation. This, in turn, will enable the company to reach a wider audience and establish a strong foothold in the digital health market.

A Look At Zuri Health

Zuri Health was founded in 2020 with a vision to transform healthcare through digital innovation. The company’s founders, including Co-Founders Daisy Isiaho, Ikechukwu Anoke and Titilola Olaolu-Hassan, have been instrumental in developing a groundbreaking digital health platform that caters to individual needs.

Zuri Health aims to provide healthcare solutions to individuals worldwide. Leveraging technology and expert guidance, the startup’s digital platform offers a comprehensive suite of health services, making it easier for users to access personalized healthcare.

The company’s mission is to empower individuals to take control of their well-being, and they are achieving this by utilizing advanced technology and innovative approaches. By providing accessible and personalized healthcare solutions, Zuri Health is contributing to the democratization of healthcare and improving the overall healthcare experience for users.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

Zuri Health has received an unknown amount of money from Moroccan venture capital firm UM6P Ventures. The funding will be utilised to help Zuri flourish and expand throughout Africa.

Zuri Health also plans to enhance its existing technology, hire more people, and expand the services and regions available to patients. The firm will be able to serve more patients and improve the quality of care they receive with this cash.

The Kenyan-based health-tech company began operations in 2021 and provides telemedicine services through a network of 600 physicians. It has also formed alliances with 16 pharmacies and 29 laboratories. It provides affordable and accessible healthcare services via a mobile application, internet, WhatsApp chatbot, and SMS service.

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UM6P Ventures is an early-stage venture capital business based in Africa that manages two funds: a Digital Transformation fund and a Deeptech Ventures fund. It serves to science and technology innovators and entrepreneurs, and it invests in firms from inception to Series A funding.

Zuri Health’s Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, Titilola Olaolu-Hassan shared “Being at the helm of a rapidly growing and evolving company like Zuri Health is an interesting challenge. The company’s growth rate shows that we are doing something right. We will continue to improve our operations and services to serve people better.”

Zuri Health has piqued the interest of industry participants and stakeholders. It has won 19 honours and distinctions, including the Villgro Africa Healthcare Innovation Challenge in collaboration with Johnson and Johnson Impact Ventures to help healthcare professionals and the SANKALP Awards 2022.

Last year, the company was chosen as one of 14 African countries for a $7 million investment led by the pan-African support organisation Investing in Innovation (i3).

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In December, the firm launched its Continuous Care Program in collaboration with Pharmaplus Pharmacies Limited to provide assistance to people suffering from chronic illnesses. The initiative intends to provide a broader range of healthcare services to chronic care patients throughout the country, including medication management and access to the Continuous Care Program.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard

Zuri Health, a Nairobi-based digital healthcare startup that provides inexpensive healthcare via mobile, has concluded a funding round led by DOB Equity, Launch Africa, and Founders Factory Africa in order to grow across Africa. Other investors in the round included V8 Capital, Platform Capital, Villgro Africa, Asime Ventures, and the Salik Family Trust.

“We are driven by the impact our service could have — to be a solution to Africa’s lack of sufficient healthcare. Healthcare infrastructure in most parts of Africa is grossly inadequate, with painfully high doctor-patient ratios. There are many Africans who cannot afford healthcare services or who live too far away from healthcare facilities. And with skilled healthcare workers increasingly leaving Africa for greener pastures, the situation is worsening. We have a burning desire to democratise healthcare access and harness the power of technology to provide quality, first-tier medical services,” Ikechukwu Anoke, CEO and Founder of Zuri Health, said.

Zuri Health intends to use the recent investment to expand its digital platform, expand its product offerings, and establish operations in other areas.

Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Chairman of Platform Capital, will also join the advisory board as part of Platform Capital’s investment in this round.

Why The Investors Invested

Since its inception, the firm has gained significant traction. Zuri Health has so far collaborated with 16+ major mobile network carriers in seven countries, serving over 400,000 SMS customers, 300 doctors, 27 lab and diagnostic centers, and 15 pharmacies.

Saskia van der Mast, Co-CEO of Nairobi-based Dutch private equity firm DOB Equity, said: “We are excited to support the growth of Zuri Health as it builds an innovative and scalable platform that will enable access to healthcare for millions of rural and urban communities”.

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Zachariah George, Managing Partner at Launch Africa, comments: “Zuri Health shows tremendous potential to scale across the continent and democratise access to healthcare. We truly believe in Anoke and Isiaho’s abilities to lead the path in the HealthTech sector in Africa.”.

Bongani Sithole, Managing Director at Founders Factory Africa, said: “Founders Factory Africa is honoured to be a part of backing the Zuri Health Team’s ambitious mission of addressing critical gaps in Africa’s healthcare systems.”

Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Chairman of Platform Capital said “We believe that Anoke, Isiaho and the Zuri Health team have created a platform that addresses the large healthcare infrastructure gap that exists on the continent and has the potential to ensure access to affordable medical care for every African. We look forward to working closely with the team to transform access to healthcare.”

Efforts to scale up quality healthcare services at an affordable cost continue to be a struggle across Africa. According to the World Economic Forum, the continent carries 25% of the world’s sickness burden yet only possesses 2% of the world’s doctors.

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Kenya has an estimated 10,500 licensed doctors, according to the Kenya Medical Practitioners & Dentists Council. To meet the country’s healthcare need, each doctor in Kenya would need to serve approximately 5,300 people per year. In addition, understaffing at lower-level facilities in more rural portions of the country causes patients to flood into national-level hospitals in urban areas. This circumstance leads to lengthier patient wait times and crushing pressure to address even the most basic healthcare demands, let alone urgent or complex cases.

A Look At What The Startup Does

Zuri Health uses SMS, WhatsApp, and a specialized app to connect mass-market people with economical, convenient, and high-quality healthcare services. The organization began operations in Kenya in January 2021 and has since expanded to Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Ikechukwu Arthur Anoke and Daisy Isiaho founded Zuri Health after they both experienced personal health problems that were resolved through telemedicine. They recognized this as a chance to create a low-cost, personalized, and quick customer journey for mobile customers looking for healthcare services.

Anoke formerly worked for the technology firm Mtech, where he managed efforts to bring value-added services to mobile users, while Isiaho previously worked for MarketForce. This experience has assisted Anoke and Isiaho in understanding how to improve and democratize access to healthcare in a post-Covid world, allowing them to establish Zuri Health’s business model and chart its growth trajectory.

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Zuri Health has worked with telecommunications companies such as MTN, Safaricom, and Telkom (Kenya) to aggregate healthcare providers such as medical labs, pharmacies, and hospitals. This has allowed Zuri Health to bring healthcare services closer to people’ homes — doctors are just a few clicks or texts away.

Zuri Health funding Zuri Health funding

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert. 
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh