Funding & Support for Local Health Innovations to Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak:
Introduction
Villgro Kenya is an early-stage business incubator and impact investor that supports healthcare and life science startups in the East African region. Villgro Kenya works to transform product and process innovations into viable and scalable businesses that impact those at the base of the pyramid (BoP). To date, Villgro Kenya has deployed approximately $650K in seed funding to companies in the East African region. These investments have catalysed over $7.5M in follow-on investments while improving the lives of over 1 million people.
Partnership Opportunity Private Sector, Academia and Government
Villgro Kenya is inviting potential partner organizations to come and join hands with us in this initiative. Public health experts predict that social distancing may continue for the next 18 months before a vaccine is ready. Furthermore, the outbreak could come in waves rather than in one single event. Developing countries should then prepare for potential far-reaching health, economic and social crises.
Considering the magnitude of this challenge, developing countries will need to develop home grown solutions given that the traditional crisis response actors are focused on the domestic front.
Villgro Kenya proposes a triple helix approach where government, academia and the private sector join hands to support local innovations that can be scaled across the continent in response to the COVID-19 outbreaks.
Call for Applications: COVID-19 Global Response Solutions
Villgro Kenya invites startups from Sub-Saharan Africa with technologies and innovations that could help in treating, testing, monitoring or other aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak. Key themes include:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Screening and testing
- Emergency and health system response including infection prevention and control
- Medical devices and commodities
- Medical supply chain strengthening
To apply, visit https://www.villgrokenya.org/apply/ and complete the application form.
Deadline for applications is April 15th, 2020.
