Rwandan startup Viebeg, which provides high-quality medical supplies and equipment throughout Central and East Africa through an innovative data-driven procurement platform, has raised a pre-seed round funding to help it scale.
Founded in 2018 by chief executive officer (CEO) Tobias Reiter and chief commercial officer (CCO) Alex Musyoka, Viebeg has built a data-driven logistics platform – encompassing shipping, warehousing, last-mile distribution, and inventory management – that empowers healthcare facilities to better manage procurement, ensuring that they have the right type and quantities of medical supplies in stock to properly treat patients.
By connecting healthcare providers directly with manufacturers – and thereby removing brokers and middlemen from the value chain – Viebeg can generate average cost savings of 40 per cent for its customers. It has already established a commercial presence in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and served more than 400 customers.
The startup is targeting an underserved US$4 billion market in East and Central Africa, and has taken on a round of pre-seed funding to help it expand. The funding comes from Beyond Capital Ventures, Beyond Capital Fund and Eckenstein Geigy Stiftung.
“We are excited to partner with Tobias and Alex and are impressed by their deep commitment to improving the quality of healthcare for underserved populations,” said Eva Yazhari, Beyond Capital Ventures general partner.
“The Viebeg team has demonstrated resilience, agility, and the ability to successfully execute in challenging market conditions. I could not think of a better example of the type of company Beyond Capital Ventures will invest in.”