CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Cameroonian health technology start-up Waspito has closed a US$2.7 million funding round as it eye expansion into Côte d’Ivoire.

The funding round was led by Newtown Partners via the Imperial Venture Fund with participation from Launch Africa Ventures, BLOC Smart Africa managed by Bamboo Capital Partners, Saviu Ventures, Orange Ventures, BringCom, and Plug and Play.

The startup will use the proceedings to expand its coverage across Cameroon and launch in Côte d’Ivoire.

Waspito will also increase its service offering as it works to connect Africa’s healthcare ecosystem online in order to alleviate the continent’s medical doctor shortage and other healthcare system difficulties.

My fantastic team has been taking baby steps in the right way, and this additional cash will assist expedite execution,” said Lobe Lobe, founder of Waspito.

We’re pleased with the number of investors we were able to get for this round. As we continue on our path to solving Africa’s healthcare insurance, accessibility, and affordability dilemma, their experience and network will be invaluable to our team.”

Founded in 2020 by Jean Lobe Lobe, Waspito connects users with doctors via rapid video sessions from their smartphones.

It also offers mobile laboratory services, in which a lab professional collects samples from a user’s house and sends the results to them through email.

The platform users are able to make payment which is affordable and easy via mobile payments, debit cards, or health insurance numbers.

The company has serviced over 15,000 patients to date, and it hopes to grow to ten countries in the next four years.

The startup also includes a health-focused social network where users may engage anonymously with medical specialists who provide preventive care suggestions and answers to inquiries.

The launch in the West African country coincides with the government’s efforts to improve access to services, rehabilitate and build facilities, and develop technical platforms aligned with international standards.

The Ivorian government has implemented Universal health coverage to boost access to care by increasing finance allocation in the national budget for healthcare.

The West African country is encouraging health tech startups to increase the ratio of doctors to patients to serve the growing population.

AI-based technologies, like cloud-based software and healthcare apps, are being intensively researched and developed by MedTech businesses.

These innovations have the power to transform the MedTech market by assisting clinical decision-making and disease early detection.

Waspito is one of such MedTech platforms influencing the sector and with this recent funding, it is sure to further improve the already changing healthcare sector in not just its parent company, Cameroon, but in Africa as a whole.

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