Discover Products, Get Discovered.
Individuals find the right products. Businesses reach the right audience. One platform, free for both.
Individuals find the right products. Businesses reach the right audience. One platform, free for both.
Since 2022, Investing in Innovation Africa has backed 18 African startups across 18 disclosed funding rounds totaling $1.4M, most heavily in Nigeria and Health Tech.
Investing in Innovation Africa, also known as i3, is a pan African initiative that supports African health tech startups with grant funding and structured access to markets. It is presented as a program rather than a traditional venture capital fund, and focuses on enabling early and growth stage companies that improve health product distribution and pharmacy care across the continent. The initiative is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by partners including MSD and Cencora, among others. Within Africa, Investing in Innovation Africa provides risk tolerant grants of around 50,000 dollars to early stage innovators and up to 225,000 dollars to growth stage companies, combined with tailored introductions to healthcare organizations and support to close commercial partnerships. Based on available investment records, the program has backed at least 19 rounds between September 2022 and April 2025, deploying approximately 1.5 million dollars. These investments concentrate on health tech, with select activity in logistics and supply chain and one fintech related health savings and payments solution. The initiative has a broad geographic reach, with portfolio companies across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Rwanda, Uganda, and Cameroon. Its backing of companies such as mPharma, LifeBank, DrugStoc, WellaHealth, Healthtracka, Chekkit, and others reflects a clear focus on strengthening pharmacy services, digitizing medicine access, securing health supply chains, and expanding patient access to diagnostics and care across African markets.
Data updated · Sep 17, 2026
Sign in to see all 18 portfolio products
Free account — full portfolios, timelines, and the weekly funding digest
Sign in to see all 18 rounds
Free account — full portfolios, timelines, and the weekly funding digest
Investing in Innovation Africa has backed 18 African startups across 18 disclosed funding rounds tracked on Liners, totaling $1.4M since 2022.
Mostly Other: 17 of its 18 tracked rounds are at that stage, followed by Seed (1).
Its tracked rounds lean toward Health Tech (15), Logistics & Supply Chain (2), Fintech (1).
Investing in Innovation Africa most often shares rounds with Harvard Management Company (1 shared deal), Rising Tide Africa (1 shared deal), Nairobi Business Angels Network (1 shared deal).
Investing in Innovation Africa, also known as i3, is a pan African support initiative for African health tech startups. It provides grant funding and structured access to markets for early and growth stage companies that improve healthcare product distribution and pharmacy care. It operates as a program rather than a conventional venture capital fund.
Investing in Innovation Africa collaborates with sponsors and co investors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora and others, and its portfolio companies have co investment from organizations including Harvard Management Company, Rising Tide Africa, Y Combinator and sector focused African health investors. The program also partners with African accelerators and innovation experts to provide investment readiness and market access support alongside grants.
Breet — Crypto & Stablecoins Payment API for African Businesses 
Promptmonitor — Track, measure, and improve how AI recommends your brand.