This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
Published on August 7, 2019, Ilara Health, a Nairobi-based affordable diagnostics platform targeting over 500 million people in Africa, has secured a $735,000 seed round to onboard new users and build a robust tech platform to manage and protect its patient health and clinic financial data.
The funding was raised from seasoned investors including ShakaVC, Chandaria Capital, and Villgro Kenya. This investment will enable Ilara Health to distribute vastly more affordable tech-powered diagnostic equipment to primary-care doctors at the front line of healthcare.
According to Larry Liu, Partner at ShakaVC, “More than half a billion people across Africa today struggle to access or afford even a simple blood test. Ilara is addressing this problem by distributing vastly more affordable tech-powered diagnostic equipment to primary-care doctors at the front line of healthcare. We are delighted to be part of their journey.”
Angel investors in this round include Esther Dyson, Nijhad Jamal, Aadil Mamujee, Selma Ribica, and Shakir Merali. Several of the new investors will become strategic advisors to the business.
Ilara Health provides a route to market for new tech-powered diagnostics and medical equipment to reach doctors who need them, supporting the rapid adoption of innovative technologies such as portable ultrasound and blood diagnostics for diabetes.
Co-founder and CEO Emilian Popa stated, “Seventy percent of patients need some form of medical test to inform their treatment, but many doctors across Africa have limited ability to perform diagnostics in their clinics. When a patient needs a test, doctors often refer them to a lab. Given the infrastructure challenges across the region – the time, the money it takes to get anywhere – patients frequently fail to attend and care breaks down.”
Co-founder and COO Amaan Banwait added, “We founded Ilara Health to help doctors bring lifesaving diagnostics to the 500 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa who need them most.”
