Advancing African Healthtech: Join the Investing in Innovation Program at UNGA 79
As the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) convenes, global leaders, donors, and innovators are united in addressing the world's most pressing challenges. This year’s focus on collaboration is crucial to driving progress, particularly in healthcare, where African-led innovations are laying the groundwork for a sustainable future.
The Investing in Innovation (i3) program is a proven model of how healthtech innovation can drive sustainable development. In the last two years, i3 was Africa’s most active healthtech funder, supporting 60 African-led companies focused on supply chain solutions. We facilitated 450+ introductions between innovators and key customers—including donors, governments, and industries—leading to 122 MOUs, pilot projects, and partnerships worth over $11M dollars. Nearly 50 innovators expanded into new geographies, collectively raising an additional $50 million and creating 942 jobs, with nearly half held by women.
To scale this impact, we are calling on donors, global health institutions, and governments at UNGA 79 to evolve their aid systems. Now is the time to test a new model of development aid—one that generates sustainable impact, creates local jobs, and advances gender equality in the health sector.
Key Messages & Call to Action
- Global aid systems must move beyond traditional frameworks and embrace local, data-driven innovations to achieve meaningful, long-term impact. By partnering with African-led healthtech startups, donors and governments can support sustainable solutions that are embedded in local markets and address the continent's most critical healthcare challenges. Measurably increase your engagement with African healthtech innovators.
- Despite the potential, global health institutions and donors have not typically engaged deeply with local innovators. This must change. African healthtech startups, like those supported by i3, are already demonstrating significant impact—i3 innovators have enabled over 198 million lives—but they need broader support to scale their efforts. Institutions must adapt their processes to contract more innovative local companies and invest ambitiously in tech-driven service delivery innovations, alongside local manufacturing.
Only by pursuing an ambitious vision for building more effective health markets will we succeed. Join us as champions of African healthtech as we "put the S in the SDGs!”
The i3 team and CEOs from leading i3 innovators Figorr, Chefaa, Kapsule, and more will be at these key events at UNGA 79:
- The 2030 Agenda: Sustainably Accelerating Maternal Health Outcomes (Devex with Merck for Mothers), on Tuesday 24th September at 9AM – 10AM EDT – register here
- Investing in Health: Innovative Financing Models from Primary to Tertiary Care in LMICs (Devex with MSD), on Tuesday 24th September at 10:30AM – 12:30PM EDT– register here
- The 4th International Digital Health Symposium, on Wednesday 25th September at 9AM EDT – register here
- The Sub-Saharan Africa Business and Investment Summit, on Wednesday 25th September at 12PM EDT – register here
If you're attending and would like to meet with our team or any of the exceptional innovators, please get in touch! We would love to share more.
