The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation is delighted to announce the 15 innovative startups that have been selected to advance to the Acceleration Phase of the timbuktoo HealthTech Hub’s flagship programme. These startups were chosen from the inaugural cohort of 40 Pan-African innovators from the HealthTech Hub Programme which was launched in November 2024 with a bootcamp designed to shortlist the startups with the most potential.  

40 startups went through a bootcamp which ultimately resulted in 15 high-growth startups advancing to the Acceleration Phase. An additional 5 startups still in the Pre-minimum viable product (Pre-MVP) stage will take part in a customized programme designed to support product development and help bring their MVP to market. These startups will participate in the Pre-MVP Studio and receive tailored support to accelerate their product development. 

Following the HealthTech Hub’s launch, the 40 selected innovators received coaching, expert insights, and workshops to help them with their business needs. In addition, they participated in a comprehensive evaluation process, where they were assessed based on criteria such as team capacity, business & commercial model, and development stage amongst others. After the mentorship, training, and rigorous selection process, the 15 most promising startups were selected to move forward to the Acceleration Phase over the course of the next 6 months. 

The Acceleration process begins in January and startups will receive comprehensive support, including mentorship, funding, and access to state-of-the-art resources, to help them scale their solutions and address Africa's most pressing healthcare challenges. The 15 startups will each receive USD25,000 while 5 pre-MVP companies will receive USD5,000 to assist in building their products. These 15 Pan-African startups representing diverse regions across the African continent, are focused on developing transformative solutions in critical areas such as telemedicine, healthcare logistics, diagnostics, and mobile health. Their goal is to deliver sustainable and inclusive healthcare solutions that can make a meaningful global impact. 

The 15 startups advancing to the Acceleration Phase of the timbuktoo HealthTech Hub are: