Venture:
Ilara Health
Founder:
Emilian Popa ’10BUS
Industry:
Health and artificial intelligence (AI)
Venture Type:
For-profit
What is the social or environmental issue being addressed?
500 million rural and peri-urban Africans cannot access basic diagnostics today because they are out of reach geographically and financially. The bottleneck problem is that doctors cannot offer the vast majority of diagnostics in their clinics, so must refer patients to labs. But, given the infrastructure challenges in rural Africa, labs are far away and patients often do not go. This means that 500 million people are not able to get relevant and appropriate health treatment.
Innovation:
Ilara Health solves the bottleneck problem by:
- partnering with high-tech device manufacturers and companies using robotics and AI to create new, lower cost diagnostics,
- integrating their devices into Ilara Health’s technology platform, and
- selling this bundle to doctors with financing.
Doctors can now offer tests directly in their clinic, improving care and growing their revenue. This makes diagnostic access easier, more immediate, and more affordable for patients. Also, by solving the bottleneck problem at the level of their primary customer — the rural African doctor — Ilara Health can change healthcare for 500 million rural and peri-urban Africans.
Ilara Health will also collect data on millions of patient interactions, which can be used for future disease detection and preventative efforts at the community level.
Read More:
- 10 Startups Selected to Pitch at Seedstars Event in Nairobi
Disrupt Africa
June 25, 2019 - All-woman Panel to Select Seedstars Nairobi Winner from These 10 Kenyan Startups
Ventureburn
June 24, 2019