Clafiya, a Nigerian healthtech startup that provides a digital platform for people to access healthcare services, has raised $610,000 in its seed funding round.
The funding round had participations from investment firms such as Accelerator, Acquired Wisdom Fund (AWF), Hustle Fund, Voltron Capital, Microtraction, Ajim Capital, HoaQ, Bold Angel Fund, and Shivdasani family, as well as a number of angel investors.
According to the startup, the funds will be used to expand Clafiya’s operations in Nigeria and to develop new products and services. Clafiya plans to use the funding to:
- Expand its network of healthcare providers.
- Develop new products and services for patients.
- Build a team of engineers and product managers.
- Expand its marketing and sales efforts.
Clafiya was founded in 2021 by Jennie Nwokoye, a Systems Engineer with experience at Deloitte and AWS, who moved back from the US to tackle the healthcare problem in Nigeria. Nwokoye founded Clafiya to allow patients to book appointments with doctors online, access medical records and test results online, chat with doctors online, order medications online, and pay for healthcare services online.
“As part of my childhood in Nigeria, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of healthcare in the country with some of my family members coming in close contact with death due to inefficiencies in the local care system. I wanted to do something about it, but I didn’t want to become a medical doctor. So, when I travelled to the US, I studied Biomedical sciences, as an undergraduate. It was until my Master’s at Georgetown that I was able to put a pin on how to leverage systems thinking to tackle the healthcare problem of access, quality and payment on the continent,” Nwokoye said in a press release.
While Clafiya started off as a platform that creates a convenient and affordable way for people to access healthcare services, it has emerged and improved on its initial strategy. The company is currently developing a digital primary care facility focused on the patient as the beneficiary while collaborating with pharmacies, diagnostic facilities, mental health services, hospitals, and health specialists to provide an all-encompassing healthcare experience. The company has also set up a B2B platform where businesses can have health savings for their employees to access healthcare services.
Read also: London-Based Fitness Tech Startup Magic Raises £1.9M In Seed Funding
Speaking on Microtraction’s early investment in Clafiya, Dayo Koleowo, a partner at Microtraction said:
“Clafiya’s mission to provide seamless access to primary healthcare for Africans and the approach to tackling the existing underperforming alternatives was interesting to us at Microtraction. We wasted no time in being their first institutional investor because we were simply impressed by the team’s experience, their go-to-market strategy, and the huge market opportunity identified.”
Google’s Startup Fund Manager, Olufemi Omoniyi, also commented on Clafiya’s funding round:
“We are excited to see Clafiya raise this funding, and are inspired by the team’s commitment to using technology to address a pressing need in Africa. As part of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund 2022 cohort, Clafiya demonstrated immense potential and dedication in addressing the healthcare challenges faced by individuals and businesses. They connect people with health practitioners – providing convenient and on-demand primary care from their mobile phones. We are proud to support Clafiya on their journey to transform healthcare delivery and improve the well-being of communities across the continent.”
The funding for Clafiya comes at a time when the Nigerian healthcare market is growing rapidly. The country’s population is expected to reach 200 million by 2025, and the demand for healthcare services is expected to grow accordingly.
Clafiya is well-positioned to capitalize on this growth. The company has a strong team with experience in the healthcare sector, and it has a proven product that is already being used by patients in Nigeria.
The funding from Microtraction, Ventures Platform, and other investors is a vote of confidence in Clafiya’s business model and its potential to grow in the Nigerian healthcare market.