An Independent publication issued with love
July 15th, 2021
This edition sees a new milestone for healthcare technology as Yodawy makes it to Series B. Few startups in Africa (~3%) make it to this stage, compared to (~15%) in the US and (~20%) in Europe. This, in addition to healthcare’s complex nature, makes investors remain shy of funding modern startups that will start taking us beyond healthcare access and into healthcare progress.
The other trend worth noting is that there is a HUGE gap between seed-stage funding and Series B, C. In between, many awesome entrepreneurs fall into the abyss of the post-accelerator phase.
As we celebrate Yodawy’s huge achievement and milestone, we call upon all fund managers and investors on starting to look at earlier-stage startups that will transform the way we do business.
When Vezeeta closed its Series B years ago, we saw investors rush into physician booking platforms rather than being interested in the whole healthcare vertical. Will the same happen with Yodawy and Pharma delivery Apps/ Pharma Benefits Management?
This is a really interesting year.
In this edition below, you will find:
- Our Insights: According to our survey, SEED funding has declined and Scale Funding has increased in Egypt.
- Today’s Debate: Chapter leaders wonder, is Femtech a missed opportunity in the Middle East?
- Opportunities: HIMSS 2021 Vegas is around the corner and is available digitally. Malta World-Tech Conference is another great opportunity.
- Featured Startup: Yodawy’s CEO Karim Khashaba, describes his journey with the company from idea to the perils of raising a Series B fund. Below is Omar Shaker’s interview with him around that, data standards, and automation.
- Top Picks: Arab Health leaders discuss changes with the pandemic, virtual reality used to ease patients discomfort and will the GCC respond to bug data trends?
Keep scrolling below to get all the good stuff!
This edition is proudly sponsored by:
Altibbi a healthcare company providing digital tools to improve healthcare for all.
If a friend sent you this email you can subscribe here to make sure you get the next one!
According to the health innovators who responded to our survey before and after covid, overall funding of Egyptian health tech startups has increased but with a focus on the scaling stage.
Seed stage funding has gone down 15% and Scaling stage funding has gone up 20%.
We think this follows the trend of investors shying away from new opportunities and placing safer bets on models that have already worked before.
As we see healthcare-focused funds form, we wonder if corporations that own brick and mortar hospital playgrounds can take higher risks due to their understanding of the healthcare market.
The Debate:
Is Femtech a Missed Opportunity?
Today we debate the following: Only a handful of the startups that we see in the Middle East are focused on women’s health. Seeing that women are half the population and tend to be the family’s decision-makers when it comes to healthcare. Is Femtech a missed opportunity in the region, or is the market not ready for it?
Interested in appearing on a debate with us? Send us an email at [email protected] and let us know what topic you’d like to discuss. Thank you!
Be sure to subscribe to our youtube channel to be notified when we post new videos!
EVENT ON AUGUST 9th-13th
HIMSS21 – Join Us in Vegas or Virtually in August 9th for the biggest Health Tech event in the world!
EVENT ON NOV 18TH-19TH
Have you registered for Med-TECH World in Malta yet? [Nov18-19]
| 💥 Congratulations on the Series B, Yodawy!💥 💰 Yodawy started in 2018, raised Series A in 2019, and just closed their Series B this week. 💊 Karim and his partners bootstrapped it with the motivation of making ordering meds less painful for consumers (including himself when getting medication for his 1-year-old!) 🚀 In one year, they have signed up 1000 mom-and-pop pharmacies all over Egypt, built an automated pharmacy benefits management program, and have invested in their own supply chain for medications! 💸 They speak about the difficulties of raising funds in health tech and Karim gives some great advice to early-stage entrepreneurs. Hint: Start Early. 🔥 Yodawy has adopted the HL7 FHIR standard and talks about the benefits of this global standard for all digital health startups. |
Arab Health and Medlab leaders discuss: How has the pandemic really shifted delivery?
Our partners covering topics for healthcare professionals
Enjoyed This? Share The Love!
