Health startup in Cameroon Waspito has secured a $2.5 million expansion from DP World through Newtown Partners, Saviu Ventures, AAIC Investment, Axian Ventures and CFAO’s Health54 to boost its growth in the Francophone region.
Waspito is a health-centric social network that allows users (patients) to access and consult verified doctors through video calls. In addition, it facilitates the collection of samples from homes and the delivery of medicines.
The startup launched in Ivory Coast earlier this year, where it also uses a hybrid model and is eyeing Senegal and Gabon, backed by a new round after last year’s $2.7 million valuation.
Jean Lobe Lobe founded Waspito in early 2020, just before the COVID pandemic became a global health emergency, a timely time for the healthcare startup to begin its mission to make healthcare accessible to all.
However, Waspito tried to approach telemedicine differently. Instead of building a platform that involves pre-registration and booking of consultation appointments, Lobe opted for a platform where users could connect directly with doctors.
“Going online to make an appointment for later doesn’t really ring a bell when someone is really seriously ill or someone who needs a doctor right away. That’s why we do live video consultations,” Lobe told TechCrunch.
When a user logs into the site, which Lobe refers to as the Facebook for health care, they are allowed to select a doctor from a list of those currently online. And, where a doctor recommends medical tests, a technician from one of the collaborating laboratories is sent to collect samples. Waspito has been integrated into some local hospitals to support with patients who need deeper reviews and/or admission.
“We have partnered with hospitals in such a way that after consultation with Waspito, care continues at the nearest hospital without the need for additional consultation payments or registration. We have connected with all these stakeholders because, collectively, we want to connect the healthcare ecosystem online and be a one-stop shop for all healthcare services,” said Lobe.
Patients pay through various options, including insurance, in advance of consultations, which Lobe says incentivizes doctors to stay online for the extra profits. Users can also anonymously join various disease support groups for personalized advice.
Lobe is convinced that keeping doctors online is one way to reach patients who live in target countries, where the latest data shows there are less than two doctors for every 10,000 people.
The startup, named the best health startup in Africa during this year’s VivaTech Awards, claims to have so far reached 650,000 users in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, onboarded 950 doctors and facilitated 60,000 visits.
Waspito expects the number of consultations made through its platform to increase as it introduces a hybrid model it is piloting in Ivory Coast – where it has set up mini-clinics to reach patients offline. The startup is establishing these clinics within the network of stores of La Poste Corporation, the national postal service in Côte d’Ivoire, which has a wide coverage throughout the country. With the help of nurses manning these locations, patients will be able to connect with doctors virtually and access other healthcare services from its partners.
This is a necessary strategy for Waspito, as the majority of users in Africa remain offline due to the cost of internet and smartphones, even as Africa’s digital economy continues to expand. It is due to introduce the hybrid approach in Cameroon and Senegal at the end of the first quarter of next year. Fundraising consultancy Raisers he was Waspito’s advisor during the round.
“Health care is really for everyone and that means we have to reach out to everyone. These mini-clinics, we believe, are the best way to connect with underserved populations,” said Lobe.
