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Villgro Africa




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The startup founders who were part of TAMC's pitching competition.

(Pictured above: The startup founders who were part of TAMC’s pitching competition. Photo: PSAV.)

Villgro Africa is an incubator and impact investor established in Kenya in 2015 that supports innovative solutions for accessible healthcare on the continent. By offering early-stage medtech startups a personalized incubation experience, Villgro Africa helps entrepreneurs navigate the African startup ecosystem, scale their ideas and products, and reach maximum impact to improve lives.

“This is a region where the market, regulatory environment, and resource availability look very different from other parts of the world, and there is a huge unmet need for affordable, high-quality healthcare,” says Program Officer Maggie Flanagan. “Medtech startups in Africa are playing a vital role in addressing this need, and Villgro Africa is at the forefront of this movement.”

Villgro Africa’s commitment to improving funding accessibility and support for these small businesses is improving the availability of medical hardware and business models to address the region’s health challenges. In its first decade of catalyzing health innovation across Africa, it has unlocked more than $3.3M in seed funding that has impacted more than 20 million lives.

Looking ahead, Villgro Africa aims to reduce the average cost and timeline of commercializing a medical device, both to address the urgency of health needs and to also build resilience and reduce reliance on imports by building a competitive medtech industry in the region.

With a footprint in East, Central, Southern, and West Africa, its incubation portfolio of innovators and entrepreneurs encompasses solutions addressing a wide range of health sector challenges.

Left: Retiana Phiri, co-founder of Invenker Technologies, a medical equipment manufacturing startup in Zambia, showcases her exhibition at TAMC 2025. Photo PSAV. Right: Villgro Africa CEO and 2025 TAMC Chair Wilfred Njagi gives opening remarks. Photo: PSAV.

Villgro’s business acceleration-as-a-service model and domain expertise have led to partnerships with leading global healthcare players and pharmaceutical companies, including the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Johnson & Johnson Foundation, Boehringer Ingelheim Social Engagement (BISE), and many others.

“From its origin, a health-sector focus has enabled Villgro to develop deep internal expertise and relevant networks of mentors and institutional partners through firsthand experiences supporting commercialization of innovative healthcare solutions,” says Foundation Executive Director Rob Schneider.

Since 2023, Villgro Africa has hosted the Transforming African Medtech Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Funded by the Foundation and in collaboration with grantees and partners — including Jaza Rift Ventures, Rice360, Kenyatta University, PDP Forum, University of Global Health Equity, Ifakara Innovation Hub, and East Africa BioDesign — the conference seeks to build a collaborative platform that drives sustainable growth and innovation in Africa’s medical technology sector. 

Learn more about the latest news and developments from Villgro Africa: 

At the 2023 Prix Galien USA, Villgro Africa received the award for Best Incubator/Accelerator/Equity. Prix Galien USA is an awards ceremony hosted by The Galien Foundation to recognize pivotal achievements and impact in biomedical products, health technology, and scientific innovation.