Driven by a powerful personal experience, she has chosen to take action, leveraging technology to better support women on their journey to motherhood. Her mission: to reimagine maternal healthcare across the continent and ensure that no woman is left behind.

Ifunanya Lilian Igweze, a Nigerian physician and tech entrepreneur, has launched Preggify, a healthtech startup aimed at supporting working women and young professionals through their maternity journey. Founded in 2022, Preggify seeks to help African women of reproductive age balance their health and careers by offering accessible, affordable, and user-friendly maternal health services. The platform provides personalized medical monitoring and tailored resources from preconception to postpartum.

The inspiration behind Preggify emerged from a deeply personal and painful experience for Igweze: the loss of her own pregnancy. "I think my most recent challenge was losing my pregnancy while working in the hospital. Although this was a devastating experience for me, but it also turned out to be a game-changer in my career. The pain of my loss made me to resign from my job, I had time to read books and meditate. It was at this point that Preggify was birthed to solve problems like this for other women," she shared. 

Igweze earned her master’s degree in medicine and surgery in 2017 from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Nigeria. Between 2019 and 2020, she worked as a front desk officer and assistant to the social welfare head at Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital. In recognition of her dedication to maternal health, Igweze was honored with the Exceptional Woman Award in 2023.

By Melchior Koba,

Editing by Sèna D. B. de Sodji