Are Africa's health systems on the brink of collapse? Inclusive fintech Djamo raises $17m; And investor spotlight: Paula Mokwena of Fireball VC.
- FemImpact Africa
- Apr 9
- 5 min read
Your round-up of the latest news, trends, and opportunities in inclusive health, wealth, and climate innovation across Africa.
by FemImpact Africa | Newsletter published 9th April 2025
Here's what we're covering today:
Are Africa's health systems on the brink of collapse?
Egyptian parenting platform Motherbeing secures seed investment
UNICEF offers $100K funding to healthtech startups
Cameroon launches a new maternal health strategy
Inclusive fintech start-up Djamo raises $17m for Africa expansion
The new $55m fund for African climate tech startups
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🌍 Health
Are Africa’s medical systems at risk of ‘collapse'?
Africa's health system faces the threat of collapse as chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes surge, warns Dr. Githinji Gitahi, CEO of Amref Health Africa, a Kenyan-based NGO. While foreign aid has largely targeted infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have risen sharply, now causing 37% of deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. With factors like diet and pollution fueling the trend, NCDs are projected to become the leading cause of death by 2030.
➡️ Read more at The Guardian
FemHealth Investment: $200K for Motherbeing
Motherbeing, a leading Egyptian femtech platform, has secured funding from Flourish Ventures' spin-out fund Madica. The company, co-founded by Nour Emam and Yousef Elsamaa, will receive up to $200,000 alongside 18 months of tailored mentorship and support. The investment is part of the fund's wider $800,000 round supporting African startups. At the heart of Motherbeing’s work is Daleela, a digital health platform designed to give Arab women seamless access to trusted reproductive and general health services. It offers educational resources on menstrual health, PCOS, birth control, and nutrition—empowering women with knowledge that is often difficult to access due to cultural and systemic barriers. The app features an AI-powered health assistant, providing bilingual, expert-backed answers to users’ questions, as well as on-demand consultations for discreet diagnoses and treatment.
➡️ Read more at Enterprise
Cameroon's new National Maternal Health Strategy
In Cameroon, childbirth remains a significant health risk. Despite medical advancements, the country continues to have one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the region. To address these challenges, this month Cameroon is launching its five-year National Strategy on Reproductive, Maternal, Child, Adolescent, and Nutrition Health (RMNCAH-Nut). Developed with support from Africa CDC and its partners, the strategy—running from 2025 to 2030— focuses on strengthening maternal healthcare services, improving data collection, enhancing policy implementation, and fostering better coordination among stakeholders.
➡️ Read more at Africa CDC
Funding opportunity: UNICEF
The UNICEF Venture Fund is calling for applications from femtech startups for up to US$100K in equity-free funding which will go to early-stage founders leveraging frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and blockchain for social impact in 3 key areas:
📌 To improve health outcomes for women and girls
📌 Address unique challenges faced by women and girls
📌 Empower women and girls socially and economically
Applications are open to start-ups in low- and middle-income economies developing Open Source technology that improves health outcomes, economic participation, or access to essential services for women and girls. Women-led startups and young founders (under the age of 35) are strongly encouraged to apply. Application deadline: 8 May 2025.
➡️ Read more at UNICEF
💰 Wealth
Roundtable: How tech is reshaping Africa’s payments
TechCentral and NTT DATA recently hosted an executive roundtable with senior financial services leaders to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping Africa’s payments landscape and the opportunities and challenges in building a more inclusive, efficient financial ecosystem. Industry giants like Safaricom, MTN, and Vodafone, alongside regulators and entrepreneurs, highlighted the success of mobile money services, which have bridged the gap for millions of unbanked individuals. As digital wallets, micro-lending, and payments platforms gain traction, the conversation centered on their potential to empower entrepreneurs, boost financial inclusion, and specifically enhance access for women and underserved rural communities. However, challenges such as regulatory complexity and cybersecurity risks still need to be addressed for these services to scale further.
➡️ Read more at Tech Central
Fintech start-up Djamo raises $17m for Africa expansion
Ivorian digital banking start-up Djamo has raised a new equity funding round led by Janngo Capital to expand its digital banking services across Francophone Africa. Now serving over 1 million users, Djamo was created to improve access to financial services in French-speaking West Africa, where many people remain underserved by traditional banks. Fatoumata Bâ, founder and executive chair at Janngo Capital, said she was “thrilled” to lead the largest VC funding round in Ivory Coast. “Djamo serves 10,000 SMEs and over 1 million people in Ivory Coast and Senegal – 60 per cent of whom were previously unbanked. In a region where less than a quarter of adults have access to formal financial services, and where women remain twice as likely to be excluded, this is a vital mission,” she said. “With women representing a third of its users, Djamo is not only bridging the gender gap but also unlocking economic opportunities at scale. We are proud to support their vision to accelerate access to finance across the region, in a more equal way.”
➡️ Read more at Empower Africa
🌾 Climate
Greentech Africa accelerator applications open
Village Capital is calling for applications to its investment-readiness accelerator program, Greentech Africa 2025: The Future of Sustainability. The program will support 10-15 startups in Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa with innovative solutions for sustainable development across Agtech and Food Security; Biodiversity Protection; Circular and Regenerative Economy; Climatetech and Cleantech; and Water, Sanitation and Health. Applications close on May 9, 2025.
➡️ Read more at Village Capital
New $55m fund for African climate tech startups
Equator, a venture capital firm that focuses on climate tech investments in sub-Saharan Africa, has reached its target of a $55m (€50m) final close for its first fund, adding commitments from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and France’s Proparco in recent months. The fund backs technology-driven seed and series A companies in the energy, agriculture and mobility sectors, providing capital and support that would otherwise be hard to come by in a region exposed to the worst impacts of climate change.
➡️ Read more at Impact Investor
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