Intrepid Entrepreneurs Launches Next Health Accelerator, Announces First Cohort
African, Female Entrepreneurs Lead the Way in Disrupting Sexual and Reproductive Health Sector for 300 Million Women in Africa
Intrepid Entrepreneurs, a non-profit designed to catalyze the power and promise of young people and women to fundamentally advance their societies, recruited nine startups for the inaugural cohort of the Next Health Accelerator. Female, African entrepreneurs with a minimum viable product (MVP) from 26 countries applied to the program. After a rigorous review process, nine startups from seven countries were selected to begin the program in March 2021. The investor readiness accelerator is six months long and includes $15,000 seed funding, international mentors and partners, business support services, and value chain access.
The Next Health Accelerator’s focus on sexual and reproductive health is founded on the premise that unmet needs for sexual education, menstrual hygiene management, family planning, medication abortion, and STI diagnosis and treatment will be most sustainably delivered by local African enterprises. Sexual and Reproductive Health issues directly affect 300 million women and girls on the continent and the productivity of the entire continent. For the continent to prosper and support its burgeoning youth population, it must harness the demographic dividend with access to equitable healthcare and economic opportunities. Next Health Accelerator addresses both.
The 2021 cohort includes:
Rocket Health: Provides telemedicine and pharmacy services for SRH needs including convenient lab test retrieval and medication delivery in Uganda
Verifie: Delivers STI self-tests and treatment products via doorstep delivery in Ghana
Pharmaserve: Specializes in delivering high-quality pharmaceuticals in Nigeria through a fully integrated inventory monitoring system
Girls Pride: Provides menstrual hygiene management education and skills training to create reusable pads in The Gambia
Pad-Up Creations: Employs over 100 people in Nigeria to produce single-use, chemical-free pads sold in 16 countries
Valorigo: Manufacturers single-use sanitary eco-friendly pads made from locally grown bamboo in the Congo
The Grace Cup: Delivers SRH education and reusable menstrual cups in Kenya
Kosmotive: Provides SRH information and access to SRH self-care products in Rwanda
Massira: Delivers SRH information interactively as well as access to SRH services and products through an online community in Ghana
“After 15 years in philanthropy, I believe now more than ever that it is women who will solve women’s health challenges and it is Africans who will solve Africa’s development challenges, “ said Intrepid Entrepreneurs Co-Founder Lindsey Simmonds. “Development policies made in Washington, D.C. or London need to make room for the power and promise of the youth and women on the African continent. Next Health Accelerator catalyzes African startups to investor readiness to make scalable, sustainable impact imbued with the commitment and determination that only comes from homegrown ideas.”
About Intrepid Entrepreneurs (IE)
Intrepid Entrepreneurs (IE) exists to catalyze the power and promise of young people and women to fundamentally advance their societies. IE is delighted to announce our inaugural Next Health Accelerator (NHA) program. NHA will support innovators offering solutions in the Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) sector with an emphasis on self-care. Visit our website to learn more: intrepidentrepreneurs.org.