Rwandan startup Kasha, a digital platform for last mile access to health, has secured equity funding from Sanofi Global Health Unit’s Impact Investment Fund to help it expand into more African countries.
Launched in 2016, Kasha is a digital retail and last mile distribution platform for pharmaceuticals and fast moving consumer goods serving consumers, resellers, pharmacies, hospitals and clinics with genuine quality affordable products.
Kasha also serves enterprises as a channel partner by leveraging its sales and last mile distribution network, data analytics and e-health services to enable pharmaceutical manufacturers and global health organisations to increase access to quality health products through marketing, consumer insights and end-to-end distribution visibility to the last mile.
The company has optimised for women as its target customer segment with the understanding that women are the most influential segment for health products and household goods, and yet still very much underserved.
Kasha raised a US$21 million Series B funding round last year to help it expand, and it has now secured further investment, from the Impact Investment Fund run by the Global Health Unit of multinational pharmaceutical firm Sanofi.
The investment will support Kasha’s expansion into more countries across Africa, increase the capabilities of its technology platform, and further grow its ability to drive equitable access of health products across the continent.
“It’s an exciting milestone for Kasha to partner so closely with Sanofi who is an important strategic partner for us. Over the years and across our countries of operations in Africa, Kasha has seen the fast growing demand for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and hypertension. With this investment, we will scale up the awareness of NCDs and other health issues and make it easier and more affordable for people to get the medications they need, especially lower income and rural customers,” said Joanna Bichsel, Kasha’s founder and CEO.
“Leveraging Kasha’s technology platform to drive access in a customer-driven and data-driven way, together Kasha and Sanofi can change the game in enabling full access to quality pharmaceuticals in Africa.”
Jon Fairest, head of the Sanofi Global Health Unit, said he was excited to play a role in Kasha’s scale-up journey as an investor and partner.
“Kasha has built a unique physical and tech infrastructure for the last mile, enabling greater access to basic health products even in the most remote areas leveraging adjusted supply chain and a broad network of agents. We recognise the importance of investing in local entrepreneurial businesses that strengthen and support sustainable healthcare delivery models and improve outcomes. Sanofi’s Global Health Unit is dedicated to improving access to sustainable healthcare for vulnerable populations with the highest unmet medical needs,” he said.
