• ELLES, created in 2022, offers cycle tracking, contraception information and cancer-prevention alerts.

• The app distributes continuous health content and guides women in daily reproductive-health management.

• Founder Viviane Oké, a Beninese medical doctor, combines medicine and digital-health strategy to support women’s autonomy.

Viviane Oké introduces a digital solution that strengthens the health autonomy of its users. She deploys a tool that reshapes how women receive support in their daily health management.

Oké, known as Dr. V, is a Beninese medical doctor active in the digital-health sector. She serves as chief executive of ELLES, an application she founded with a group of young Beninese doctors to improve reproductive-health monitoring for women.

ELLES, created in 2022, focuses on reproductive health. The application enables girls and women to track their menstrual cycles and access information on contraceptive methods. It distinguishes natural methods and details their benefits and potential side effects.

The platform also supports breast-cancer prevention by sending alerts at the optimal moment for self-examination and by providing a detailed guide. An integrated news feed delivers a continuous flow of content on the body, sexual health and reproductive health.

Oké graduated from the Faculty of Health Sciences in Cotonou, where she earned her medical doctorate. She also completed a master’s degree in international project management in October 2025 at Senghor University in Alexandria, Egypt.

She worked as a medical translator in 2021 for Smile Train, an international children’s organization. She served in 2022 as a fintech-technology consultant for the GIZ office in Benin. In February 2025, she worked as a physician at Clinique Patte d’Oie in Cotonou.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Mobidoto, created in January 2025, delivers offline-friendly digital training for community health workers.
• The platform offers structured modules, continuous training pathways and formal certification.
• The startup launched DotoIA in November 2025, a free WhatsApp-based revision assistant for health students.

Maessarath Rafiou, a Beninese medical doctor, founded and leads Mobidoto, a social-impact company that focuses on digital training for African health workers. She created Mobidoto in January 2025 and designed the platform as a continuous-learning tool usable in professional settings, including areas with weak connectivity. The application offers training pathways, structured modules and a certification system that validates acquired skills.

The Mobidoto website includes a “Resources” section that hosts educational materials, including e-books accessible through a dedicated page. These materials complement the app’s training modules and give health professionals practical tools for daily work. The platform mainly targets community health workers, aspiring community health workers, community relays, nurses, midwives and doctors.

The startup launched DotoIA in November 2025, a free revision assistant for health students available via WhatsApp. The chatbot delivers simplified explanations, short quizzes and full mobile access that works even under limited connectivity. The tool aims to support students as they prepare for exams.

Rafiou practices medicine at Dr Pierre Boni Clinic in Benin. She also founded and presides over OASIS Benin, an organisation created in 2017 that supports preventive care across Benin and the sub-region through awareness campaigns, information sessions and health-promotion initiatives.

She graduated from the Faculty of Health Sciences in Cotonou, where she earned a medical doctorate. Between 2016 and 2017, she served as project manager for Benin Health Movement, an organisation engaged in health-promotion activities in Benin.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Tanit AI, founded in 2024, provides an AI-driven digital platform that supports individuals and couples through fertility treatments.

• The platform uses a specialized AI assistant to decode medical information, track treatment steps and facilitate communication with healthcare providers.

• Founder Kaïs Zhioua also serves as strategy director at Fertillia and at Clinique La Rose, bringing sector expertise to the startup.

Kaïs Zhioua, a Tunisian entrepreneur and founder of Tanit Healthcare Technologies (Tanit AI), created a digital tool that follows fertility-treatment steps and aims to make the path to parenthood simpler and more predictable. He positions Tanit AI as a “personal companion toward parenthood” powered by artificial intelligence.

Zhioua founded Tanit AI in 2024 as a fertility-focused digital platform that supports individuals and couples from the exploration of options through treatment and potential complications. The platform integrates a fertility-specialized AI assistant that decodes medical information, tracks care pathways and clarifies proposed treatments.

The assistant explains fertility concepts, outlines possible causes of infertility and presents available diagnostic or treatment options. It facilitates conversations with healthcare professionals and supports informed decision-making. The platform guides users throughout treatment by helping them determine when to begin, follow protocols and manage unexpected events.

Tanit AI also provides markers to help users understand where they stand in their journey, consolidate medical information and anticipate next steps.

Zhioua simultaneously serves as strategy director at Fertillia, a Tunisian company specialized in assisted reproduction, and as director of strategy and innovation at Clinique La Rose in Tunis. He previously founded Careways in 2016, a digital tool dedicated to medical tourism.

He graduated from the Mediterranean School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2013 and earned a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from Zhejiang University in China in 2015.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Moroccan entrepreneur Mohammed El-Beltagy has built his career around applying artificial intelligence to business performance. He founded and leads Optomatica, a deep-tech consulting firm specializing in AI, machine learning and advanced optimization.

Optomatica focuses on accelerating the transition from ideas to final products by developing tailored AI systems that improve decision-making and data management. The company positions itself as “AI-First” and adapts its technologies to operational contexts across industries.

Founded in 2003, Optomatica operates in fintech, sports technologies, digital health, conversational intelligence, logistics, and process optimization. The firm aims to create practical AI applications and unlock new technical opportunities for clients and their markets.

Alongside Optomatica, El-Beltagy has pursued multiple ventures. In 2014, he co-founded Racefox, a digital coach for running and cross-country skiing. Four years later, he launched ConsultingPad, a platform linking consultants with enterprises, and joined AIM Technologies, an AI-focused firm, as a board member.

In 2021, he helped establish Optofolio, a wealth management platform; Jilatee, a circular fashion company; and DFin Holding, a fintech venture.

Since 2022, El-Beltagy has served as co-founder and chief technology officer of Flend, a financing platform that uses data and technology to support small and medium-sized enterprises. That same year, he founded Racemate, a sports technology company, where he chairs the board and serves as CTO.

El-Beltagy graduated in biomedical engineering from the American University in Cairo in 1994. He earned a master’s degree in mechatronics from Lancaster University in 1996 and a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Southampton in 2000.

His professional record includes senior positions in technology firms. From 2007 to 2017, he worked at Hive Streaming, a live video distribution company, as chief scientist and later as innovation director. Between 2013 and 2017, he served as innovation director at Novelari, an innovation accelerator. More recently, from 2020 to 2021, he was CTO at Elves, an Egypt-based travel app.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Blademy partnered with FasterCapital under its EquityPilot program to scale Bluetooth-enabled health devices for chronic disease management in West Africa.

• The partnership will provide capital, mentorship, commercialization support, and fundraising assistance to accelerate deployment.

• Pilots will launch in Ghana and Senegal within 6–18 months before scaling to Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.

The World Health Organization warned that Africa could face a shortage of 6.1 million health workers by 2030 if urgent action is not taken. Digital health is emerging as a key lever to close the gap and expand care access across the region.

Blademy, an initiative of Côte d’Ivoire’s Agence Digitale N’zassa (ADN), signed a strategic partnership with global incubator FasterCapital through its EquityPilot program. The agreement seeks to strengthen digital health in West Africa with locally adapted and affordable solutions.

“Blademy illustrates the kind of pragmatic, high-impact innovation we seek: simple hardware, smart software, and a business model tailored to underserved markets. Our EquityPilot program will provide the capital, network, and technical guidance required to transform demonstrable pilots into scalable impact on health systems,” said FasterCapital founder and CEO Hesham Zreik.

The collaboration will give Blademy growth capital, international mentorship, commercialization support, and fundraising assistance. These resources aim to accelerate the rollout of its offline, Bluetooth-enabled health platform designed to manage diabetes, hypertension, and gout.

Blademy’s solution combines low-cost Bluetooth glucometers, blood pressure monitors, and uric acid testers with an Android/iOS application that functions offline. Data is stored locally and later shared with clinicians, enabling patient monitoring in rural and peri-urban areas while reducing chronic care costs.

The initiative comes as digital health grows rapidly in West Africa but remains hindered by weak connectivity and reliance on imported equipment. Millions in the region suffer from chronic diseases, while shortages of health professionals add pressure to fragile systems. Blademy’s model addresses these local realities by focusing on affordability and offline functionality.

With FasterCapital’s support, Blademy will implement a 6–18 month roadmap starting with pilot projects in Ghana and Senegal. Expansion is planned for Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. Long term, the company aims to become a leading digital health player in West Africa, strengthening prevention and reducing the economic burden of chronic illnesses.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

West Africa faces persistent challenges in managing medical emergencies, with delayed ambulance responses often linked to preventable deaths. Nigerian physician and entrepreneur Nana Aisha Onisarotu is developing digital solutions to improve efficiency and coordination across the sector.

She founded ResQCore in 2023 as a platform dedicated to emergency healthcare management. The system connects ambulance operators, hospitals, insurers, and individuals through a digital infrastructure that integrates vehicle tracking, hospital capacity monitoring, and centralized service requests.

ResQCore deploys automation to manage ambulance allocation and leverages artificial intelligence to reduce intervention delays. The approach enhances coordination between stakeholders and improves the traceability of emergency responses.

Before ResQCore, Onisarotu co-founded The Ambulance Company in Nigeria in 2020. The firm manages both urgent and non-urgent transport for patients, schools, companies, and events in Lagos and surrounding areas. Its fleet includes ambulances equipped with monitoring devices, advanced medical equipment, and communication systems.

Onisarotu earned her medical degree in 2017 from Danylo Halytsky National Medical University in Lviv, Ukraine. She completed a master’s in global health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2019 and is currently pursuing healthcare management studies at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos.

Her professional experience includes serving as a program director at Nigeria’s Ministry of Health in 2021 and working as a physician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn in the United Kingdom in 2023.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Moroccan pharmacist and entrepreneur Loubna Lamrani seeks to reshape the maternity experience in Morocco through Mama Box, a digital platform designed to support mothers. Lamrani, who co-founded the initiative in 2023, received the 2025 “Coup de cœur” Jury Prize at the Orange Social Entrepreneur Award for Africa and the Middle East (POESAM).

Lamrani launched Mama Box with Fatine Rizlene Labraimi and Hanae Bouayad. The initiative provides free, personalized, and reliable support to expectant and new mothers during the critical maternity period.

The project distributes boxes in maternity wards, partner medical practices, and through its online platform. Each box includes baby and mother care products, such as skincare items and breastfeeding accessories.

In addition to physical boxes, the platform offers discount vouchers, a practical guide, and unlimited access to Mama Bot, a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence.

“Mama Box was born from a simple mission: to accompany mothers in the wonderful adventure of maternity,” the company said. “Each box is a celebration of life, filled with carefully selected products, special offers, and a wealth of practical advice. Our selections are guided by healthcare professionals and driven by the belief that every mother deserves the best for herself and her baby.”

Lamrani has practiced pharmacy since 2007 at Pharmacie Moulay Ismail. In 2011, she co-founded COSMOBIO Parapharmacie, a space dedicated to health and wellness in Morocco.

She holds a doctorate in pharmacy from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir, earned in 2014, and a master’s degree in pharmaceutical management from Laval University in Canada, obtained in 2007.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• The Gates Foundation pledged more than $10 million to support Senegal’s New Deal technologique, its national digital strategy launched in February 2025.
• The partnership will fund a universal digital ID, an AI hub for health and agriculture, and a Delivery Unit to oversee project transparency and efficiency.
• Senegal’s digital strategy requires $2 billion, of which $155 million still needs to be secured.

Senegal signed a $10 million-plus partnership with the Gates Foundation on September 24 to accelerate its national digital strategy, known as the New Deal technologique. The agreement was finalized on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, the state broadcaster RTS reported.

Le Président a reçu en audience M. @BillGates, Président de la Gates Foundation.

Cette rencontre a permis de conclure un partenariat stratégique de plus de 10 millions de dollars pour accélérer le #NewDealTechnologique et faire du Sénégal un hub africain d’innovation numérique. pic.twitter.com/kBJk37Sigr

— Présidence Sénégal (@PR_Senegal) September 24, 2025

The program, launched in February 2025 by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, aims to transform public services, strengthen digital sovereignty, and establish Senegal as a regional technology hub by 2034.

The deal provides for the rollout of a universal digital identity system, the creation of an artificial intelligence hub focused on health and agriculture, and the establishment of a Delivery Unit to ensure project transparency and efficiency.

The partnership follows an initial meeting between Bill Gates and President Faye during the 79th UN General Assembly, when both sides agreed to expand cooperation in areas including AI-assisted agriculture, sanitation, and digital innovation across strategic sectors.

Senegal budgeted CFA1,105 billion (about $2 billion) for the New Deal technologique. Authorities have already identified CFA950 billion, leaving CFA155 billion still to be mobilized.

Officials expect the Gates Foundation’s contribution to accelerate the implementation of priority projects, expand inclusive digital services for citizens, and attract additional private investment into Senegal’s tech ecosystem.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• 10mg Credit, a Nigerian fintech solution, offers instant, collateral-free credit to healthcare providers for medical supplies.

• The platform leverages AI to assess creditworthiness, approving most applications within minutes.

• Since its launch, 10mg Credit has financed over 6,000 healthcare providers, disbursing more than $3.4 million.

Access to financing remains a significant hurdle for small and medium-sized enterprises across Africa. In Nigeria, a nascent startup has introduced a solution specifically targeting the healthcare sector.

10mg Credit, a fintech solution developed by Nigerian startup 10mg Health, provides instant, collateral-free credit to healthcare facilities. These facilities use the credit to procure medicines and medical equipment. Christian Nwachukwu founded the startup in 2022.

The company said its AI-driven system quickly analyzes transaction histories to approve most applications within minutes, eliminating paperwork and delays, and provides flexible, transparent repayment plans to help users manage expenses without stress.

Healthcare establishments can opt for 10mg Credit when making purchases, either through its platform or via partner distributors. The approval process relies on AI technology, which evaluates applicants' creditworthiness in real-time. This system grants credit within minutes, requires no physical collateral, and offers repayment terms tailored to each facility's cash flow.

By enabling hospitals to pre-finance purchases, 10mg Credit helps reduce service interruptions and enhances the healthcare system's resilience. Since its inception, the solution claims to have financed over 6,000 healthcare providers, with a total volume exceeding $3.4 million and a loan approval rate near 60%. However, the startup faces challenges in managing repayment risk, securing data, and extending coverage to less connected areas.

Regarding data protection, the startup asserts it only collects information necessary for fair and instant decisions, "encrypting it end-to-end for maximum protection."

This article was initially published in French by Adoni Conrad Quenum

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Adriaan Kruger, a South African technology entrepreneur, is making his mark in digital health by designing platforms for clinical research. He is the cofounder and chief executive of nuvoteQ.io, a software development firm. In September, he was selected among the ten finalists of Africa’s Business Heroes, whose semifinal took place in Dakar, Senegal.

Founded in 2014, nuvoteQ.io builds digital solutions to manage clinical trials and life sciences data. The company aims to replace paper-based data collection with digital tools.

Among its key products is Kronus, a web-based clinical trial management platform. It enables data entry, workflow automation, and real-time access to information while ensuring regulatory compliance. The firm also developed Nukleus, an eSource platform that removes manual data entry, and SafetyBase, a pharmacovigilance tool that centralizes and structures safety data.

Kruger co-founded Scigenix in 2023, a health data company where he serves on the board. In 2024, he helped establish the nuvoteQ Foundation, which supports and protects health technologies critical to public health.

He also leads the tech team at Clinical Trial Community, a platform that helps identify clinical trial sites in Africa. In addition, he serves as vice president of SACRA South Africa, an association dedicated to clinical research.

Kruger graduated with a bachelor’s degree in information technology from the University of Pretoria in 2005 and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management in 2010 from the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership.

He began his career in 2005 at iOCO, an Oracle technology solutions provider, where he worked as a consultant and later as an account and sales manager, before leading the Oracle technologies and hardware division. In 2014, he joined Cytespace Research Private as a senior associate, focusing on patient-centered data solutions for clinics and hospitals.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum