Wazima Health
Integrated telemedicine and remote care for underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Website: https://wazimahealth.com
From the public record
| Name | Wazima Health |
| Tagline | Integrated telemedicine and remote care for underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | Hardware + Software |
| Industry | Healthtech |
| Technology | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Growth Profile | Social Enterprise |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding Label | Seed (total disclosed ~$150,000) |
Links
From the public record
- Website: https://wazimahealth.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wazimahealth
- Norrsken Job Board: https://jobs.norrsken.org/companies/wazima-health-2
The Short Version
From the public record
Wazima Health is a UK-based health-tech company building an integrated telemedicine and remote care platform for underserved communities in sub-Saharan Africa, a bet that combines hardware-enabled diagnostics with software workflows to address the high burden of noncommunicable diseases [How We Made It In Africa]. The company's founding story is anchored in CEO Elizabeth Adeshina's prior 12-year exit from a pharmaceutical wholesale business serving the region, which informs its focus on practical, last-mile healthcare delivery [Lionesses of Africa, October 2022]. Its core product differentiates from pure teleconsultation services by layering connected diagnostic devices with point-of-care screening, remote clinician access, and continuous-care management, aiming to create a closed-loop system for chronic conditions [Axess Network, June 2023].
Adeshina's medical and commercial background, alongside co-founder Elizabeth Eweka, provides a foundation in both clinical needs and African market operations, though the team's scaling experience with a venture-backed software-hardware hybrid remains unproven. To date, the company has raised a modest $150,000 in seed capital across two tranches from investors including Rising Tide Africa and ShEquity, which suggests early validation but also a likely need for a substantive follow-on round to fund hardware deployment and commercial expansion [PitchBook]. The business model appears to target healthcare providers, patients, and corporate clients, though specific pricing and revenue figures are not publicly available.
Over the next 12-18 months, investors should monitor the company's ability to convert its reported operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique into contracted, recurring revenue streams, and to secure a larger financing round that would enable it to move beyond pilot-scale deployments.
Single-source, plausible -- Core company description and founding narrative are corroborated by multiple trade publications; funding details are from PitchBook; team and operational details are partially corroborated.
Taxonomy Snapshot
| Axis | Value |
|---|---|
| Stage | Seed |
| Business Model | Hardware + Software |
| Industry / Vertical | Healthtech |
| Technology Type | Software (Non-AI) |
| Geography | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Growth Profile | Social Enterprise |
| Founding Team | Co-Founders (2) |
| Funding | Seed (total disclosed ~$150,000) |
The Company in Brief
From the public record
Wazima Health is a London-based health technology company that has pursued an integrated care model for sub-Saharan Africa since its founding in 2017 [Crunchbase, retrieved 2026]. The company’s public narrative positions it as a venture built to address the specific challenges of noncommunicable disease management in underserved communities, moving beyond pure teleconsultation to incorporate connected diagnostic devices at the point of care [Lionesses of Africa, October 2022].
Founder and CEO Elizabeth Adeshina brought a background in both medicine and business, having previously founded and operated a pharmaceutical wholesale business across seven African countries for over a decade before exiting in 2016 [Lionesses of Africa, October 2022]. This experience appears to have informed the company’s focus on the practical logistics of healthcare delivery. The first software product reportedly launched in September 2018 [Lionesses of Africa, October 2022], and the company has since described operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique [wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026].
Key milestones are anchored by two small seed financings, a $100,000 round in June 2017 and a $50,000 round in August 2018, with investors including Rising Tide Africa and ShEquity [PitchBook, retrieved 2025]. The company’s most recent public development is its inclusion in the MIT Solve Connected Care ecosystem in May 2026, where it is described as providing an integrated telemedicine platform [MIT Solve, May 2026].
Single-source, plausible -- Founding year and funding amounts are corroborated by PitchBook, but operational milestones and launch date are sourced from a single company profile article. Headcount is inconsistent across sources.
What They Have Built
Mixed sourcing
The core proposition is an integrated platform that seeks to combine hardware and software to manage noncommunicable disease care in underserved communities. According to company descriptions, the system aims to connect point-of-care diagnostic devices with telemedicine services, triage, and continuous patient monitoring [Axess Network, June 2023]. The website states a focus on removing barriers between patients and providers by leveraging technology, specifically for NCD patients and their families [wazimahealth.com/about-us/, retrieved 2026].
Reported functionality includes health screenings, appointment and health record management, and access to medicines and remote consultations [VC4A, retrieved 2024] [CB Insights, retrieved 2026]. The platform is described as serving both healthcare providers and patients, with a mobile app listed as a user access point [wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026]. The integration of "smart diagnostic devices" is a recurring theme in third-party coverage, suggesting a hardware-enabled service model, though specific device models or regulatory clearances are not publicly detailed [Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024].
Single-source, plausible -- Product claims are primarily from company materials and a limited number of third-party descriptions; independent technical verification is not available.
Market Size and Demand
From the public record The market for integrated telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa is defined by a persistent structural gap in healthcare access, a gap that digital and hardware-enabled solutions are attempting to close, not by displacing existing infrastructure but by routing around it.
Third-party market sizing specific to Wazima's integrated hardware-software model for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in its operational countries is not available in the cited public sources. However, analogous market reports provide a relevant frame. The broader telemedicine market in Africa was valued at approximately $1.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25% through 2028, driven by rising mobile penetration and a growing burden of chronic diseases [Grand View Research, 2022]. The NCD burden itself is a primary demand driver; the World Health Organization reports that NCDs account for over 37% of deaths in Africa, a figure that is rising rapidly due to urbanization and lifestyle changes [WHO, 2022]. This creates a tangible, urgent need for the early screening and continuous monitoring workflows that Wazima's platform describes.
Key tailwinds extend beyond epidemiology. Mobile phone penetration in sub-Saharan Africa surpassed 50% in 2023, with smartphone adoption growing steadily, enabling the delivery of remote consultation and management tools [GSMA, 2023]. Regulatory environments are also evolving, with several countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, establishing or updating frameworks for telemedicine practice and digital health data, though implementation and enforcement remain uneven [Brookings Institution, 2023]. Investor interest has followed these signals, with healthtech attracting the third-largest share of venture capital funding in Africa after fintech and cleantech in recent years, indicating validated capital allocation to the sector [Partech Africa, 2024].
Adjacent and substitute markets highlight both opportunity and competition. The primary adjacent market is pure software telehealth, which includes numerous consultation-only apps. The key substitute remains traditional in-person clinic visits, which are often inaccessible or unaffordable for the populations Wazima targets. Another significant adjacent sector is medical device distribution and standalone diagnostic hardware, which lacks the integrated software and continuous care loop. The company's proposed wedge, combining community-level diagnostic devices with telemedicine, sits at the intersection of these markets, aiming to capture value from both the hardware diagnostic and the ongoing software-mediated care relationship.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Telemedicine Market Africa (2021) | 1.2 $B |
| Projected CAGR (to 2028) | 25 % |
| Mobile Penetration SSA (2023) | 50 % |
| NCD Share of Deaths in Africa | 37 % |
The sizing and growth figures, while not specific to Wazima's model, outline a large and rapidly expanding addressable envelope for digital health solutions. The 25% projected CAGR suggests a market receptive to innovation, though it aggregates all telemedicine models. The critical diligence question is what portion of this growth can be captured by an integrated hardware-software approach focused on NCDs, given its higher operational complexity compared to software-only models.
Single-source, plausible -- Market sizing and driver data are from third-party industry reports (Grand View Research, WHO, GSMA, Partech) but are not specific to the company's exact product or geographic footprint. The connection to Wazima's model is analytical.
Who Else Is Fighting for This
Mixed sourcing Wazima Health’s competitive position is defined by its focus on integrated hardware and software for noncommunicable disease management in specific sub-Saharan African markets, a niche that separates it from pure-play telemedicine or hospital software providers. The available public sources do not name direct competitors, making a detailed comparative table impossible.
In the broader African digital health ecosystem, competition can be segmented into three categories. First, pure telemedicine providers like Kenya's Maisha Meds or Nigeria's Helium Health (which offers a broader clinic management suite) address remote consultation but typically do not bundle proprietary diagnostic hardware [How We Made It In Africa]. Second, multinational medical device companies sell diagnostic equipment but lack the integrated software platform and continuous-care workflows that Wazima describes [Axess Network, June 2023]. Third, adjacent substitutes include large hospital groups developing in-house digital systems and government-led primary care initiatives, which may build rather than buy solutions.
Wazima’s potential edge, based on its claimed model, rests on the integration of point-of-care screening devices with telemedicine and patient management. This combination aims to address a critical gap in continuity of care for chronic conditions in low-resource settings. The durability of this edge is unclear without visibility into proprietary hardware, exclusive clinic partnerships, or data network effects. It could be perishable if larger telemedicine platforms decide to partner with third-party device manufacturers or if low-cost, generic diagnostic hardware becomes widely available.
The company’s most significant exposure is its limited scale and capital. With approximately $150,000 in total disclosed funding and an employee count estimated between 7 and 50, its ability to secure exclusive distribution, invest in hardware R&D, or scale sales operations across Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique is constrained [PitchBook] [ZoomInfo.com, retrieved 2026] [RocketReach, retrieved 2026]. A well-funded regional player like Helium Health, with deeper pockets and a focus on clinic digitization, could decide to expand into connected chronic care, leveraging its existing provider network to outpace Wazima.
A plausible 18-month scenario hinges on partnership execution versus capital constraints. Wazima could emerge as a niche winner if it secures a landmark contract with a national health insurer or HMO in one of its operating countries, using that reference customer to validate its integrated model and attract follow-on funding [wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026]. Conversely, it risks becoming a loser in the broader landscape if it cannot move beyond pilot deployments, leaving its target chronic care segment to be addressed piecemeal by telemedicine apps adding device integrations or by incumbent medical suppliers adding basic software layers.
Single-source, plausible -- Competitive analysis is inferred from the company's described model and general market knowledge; no direct competitors are named in captured sources.
Opportunity
From the public record The prize for Wazima Health is the establishment of a default, integrated care delivery system for the rising tide of non-communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, a patient population projected to exceed 200 million by 2030 [World Health Organization].
The headline opportunity is to become the category-defining, integrated care platform for chronic disease management across fragmented health systems. This is more than a telemedicine app; the cited evidence points to a model combining connected diagnostics, point-of-care screening, and longitudinal care workflows [Axess Network, June 2023]. This integration addresses the critical gap in continuity of care for conditions like diabetes and hypertension, where initial diagnosis is only the first step. The outcome is reachable because the company is already operating in three key markets,Nigeria, Ghana, and Mozambique [How We Made It In Africa],and its founder has a demonstrated 12-year track record of building and exiting a pharmaceutical distribution business across the region [Lionesses of Africa, June 2024]. This suggests an operational understanding of the supply chain and stakeholder landscape that pure software entrants lack.
Growth could follow several concrete paths, each with identifiable catalysts.
| Scenario | What happens | Catalyst | Why it's plausible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Health Anchor | Wazima becomes the outsourced NCD management partner for national or state-level health ministries, embedding its platform into public primary care networks. | Securing a pilot contract with a state government or a large Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), which the company lists as a partnership target [wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026]. | The model aligns with public health priorities to reduce NCD burdens cost-effectively. Founder Elizabeth Adeshina’s background in medical supply suggests existing government relationships could be leveraged. |
| Corporate Health Mandate | The platform is adopted as the standard employee wellness and chronic disease management solution for multinational corporations with large African workforces. | A flagship contract with a mining, oil & gas, or financial services firm operating in Wazima’s markets, driven by rising corporate healthcare costs. | The company’s website identifies corporate clients as a target segment [CB Insights, retrieved 2026]. The integrated hardware-software offering provides a tangible health screening service that standalone apps cannot match. |
Compounding for Wazima would manifest as a data-driven clinical flywheel. Each patient enrolled generates longitudinal health data from connected devices and screenings. This dataset, aggregated across communities, could improve predictive risk models and treatment protocols, making the platform clinically more effective over time. Early clinical success in one region would serve as validation for expansion into adjacent countries, while integration with public systems or large corporate clients creates significant switching costs, locking in distribution. The company’s mention of HMO and government partnerships [wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026] suggests the initial steps of this lock-in are being pursued.
The size of the win can be framed by looking at comparable, later-stage African healthtech platforms. mPharma, a Ghana-based pharmacy and patient management platform, achieved a valuation approaching $400 million during its 2022 Series D round [TechCrunch, 2022]. While mPharma’s model differs, it demonstrates the scale achievable by digitizing and integrating fragmented elements of African healthcare delivery. If Wazima successfully executes on the Public Health Anchor scenario and captures a material share of the chronic disease management workflow across its three initial countries, a valuation in the hundreds of millions of dollars is a plausible outcome (scenario, not a forecast). The total addressable market is underpinned by the stark epidemiology: NCDs are responsible for over 40% of deaths in Ghana and Nigeria, yet health systems remain largely oriented toward acute, infectious disease care [World Health Organization].
Single-source, plausible -- Opportunity framing relies on public health data and cited company targets; specific commercial traction and partnership details to validate scenarios are not publicly corroborated.
Sources
From the public record
[How We Made It In Africa] Investing in African startups: From fintech to insect protein | https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/investing-in-african-startups-from-fintech-to-insect-protein/150957/
[Lionesses of Africa, October 2022] Elizabeth Adeshina, an entrepreneur improving healthcare access in Africa | https://www.lionessesofafrica.com/blog/2022/10/16/elizabeth-adeshina-an-entrepreneur-improving-healthcare-access-in-africa
[Axess Network, June 2023] Empowering Global Health with Telemedicine | https://axessnet.com/en/empowering-global-health-with-telemedicine/
[PitchBook, retrieved 2025] Wazima Health company profile | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/454468-69
[Crunchbase, retrieved 2026] Wazima - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/wazima
[wazimahealth.com, retrieved 2026] Wazima Health website | https://wazimahealth.com
[wazimahealth.com/about-us/, retrieved 2026] Wazima Health About Us page | https://wazimahealth.com/about-us/
[VC4A, retrieved 2024] Wazima, Healthcare venture on VC4A | https://vc4a.com/ventures/wazima/
[CB Insights, retrieved 2026] Wazima Health company profile | https://www.cbinsights.com/company/wazima
[Perplexity Sonar Pro Brief, retrieved 2024] Wazima Health company brief | https://www.perplexity.ai/
[MIT Solve, May 2026] Wazima Health - Connected Care | https://solve.mit.edu/solutions/99438
[ZoomInfo.com, retrieved 2026] Wazima - Overview, News & Similar companies | https://www.zoominfo.com/c/wazima/482999759
[RocketReach, retrieved 2026] Elizabeth Adeshina profile | https://rocketreach.co/
[Lionesses of Africa, June 2024] Wazima/Healthtech profile page | https://www.lionessesofafrica.com/blog/tag/Healthtech
[Grand View Research, 2022] Telemedicine Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report | https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/telemedicine-market
[World Health Organization, 2022] Noncommunicable diseases in the African Region | https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases
[GSMA, 2023] The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa | https://www.gsma.com/mobileeconomy/sub-saharan-africa/
[Brookings Institution, 2023] Digital health regulation in Africa | https://www.brookings.edu/articles/digital-health-regulation-in-africa/
[Partech Africa, 2024] Annual Report on African Tech Venture Capital | https://partechpartners.com/africa-report/
[TechCrunch, 2022] mPharma raises $35M Series D | https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/22/mpharma-raises-35m-series-d/
Articles about Wazima Health
- Wazima Health's Remote Clinics Land in the Sub-Saharan African Community — With $150,000 in seed funding, the UK-based startup is building an integrated hardware and software platform for noncommunicable disease care.