Angolan e-health startup Appy Saúde is hoping to raise US$1 million or more in a second round of funding to take its healthcare information and booking platform to new markets.
Launched in 2017, Appy Saúde is a mobile app and web portal that provides Angolan users with information on doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, and allows them to book appointments and order medicine.
The startup has established itself as the largest health platform in Angola, with over 2,000 establishments listed, and secured seed funding two years ago. It is now hoping to raise over US$1 million in another round to allow it to enter other markets in Africa.
Chief executive officer (CEO) Pedro Beirão told Disrupt Africa Appy Saúde – which was one of the 10 startups from across the continent selected to pitch at the Africa Startup Summit in Kigali in February – was seeking investment to enter other markets, such as Rwanda, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Namibia.
“Our biggest focus is on Rwanda and South Africa, for now. We are in advanced talks with a partner to enter Rwanda market. The time to market is excellent, as both Angola and Rwanda are improving policies for partnerships,” Beirão said, adding that he hoped Appy Saúde’s Rwanda launch would take place by September.
He said the startup was in some advanced discussions with potential investors, but no hard deals had yet been struck. Though he admitted there was an obvious funding gap for Lusophone African startups, compared to their Anglophone and Francophone counterparts, Beirão said the fact the Angolan economy was growing and opening should encourage more investor interest.
