Sylvia Duruson
Nairobi-based health tech company Ilara Health has secured $4.2 million in a pre-Series A funding round. This infusion of equity and debt financing will support the startup’s mission to deliver affordable, quality healthcare across Kenya before expanding regionally.
The latest capital injection, led by impact investor DOB Equity, brings Ilara’s total raised to date to $11.7 million across multiple rounds. The company previously landed $3.75 million in Seed funding back in 2020 and over $1.6 million cumulatively from the Gates Foundation amongst other backers.
Strategic health sector players like the Phillips Foundation and Boehringer Ingelheim participated for the first time, attracted by Ilara’s model of empowering local clinics with tools and training.
Founded in 2019 by Emilian Popa, Maximilian Mancini and Sameer Afzal Farooqi, Ilara embarked on elevating diagnostic testing capabilities at Kenya’s primary care facilities plagued by subpar quality and availability.
Initially, the startup began providing revenue-sharing diagnostics equipment to enable clinics to scale offerings while repayment occurred through flexible plans. Ilara then expanded into full technology-driven operations management encompassing patient handling, pharmaceutical supplies and data analytics.
This approach has seen Ilara partner with over 3,000 local clinics, reaching more than 5 million annual patients across Kenya to date by some estimates.
CEO and Co-Founder Emilian Popa explained the new capital will accelerate the startup’s founding purpose – delivering healthcare access for all Africans. As Popa stated, “There’s immense potential remaining to raise the standard of medical care nationally and regionally. We welcome partners aligning with our vision as we continue positively shaping health outcomes.”
Ilara intends to leverage the funds over the next year to aggressively expand its clinic network and launch new verticals like employer healthcare services. Central to the growth strategy is providing proprietary practice management software to standardize and collect performance data across Ilara’s partner locations.
Access to live analytics will allow the startup to identify high-potential facilities to receive follow-on financing and support packages, including staff training, equipment, and co-branding opportunities.
The ultimate goals are utilizing widespread quality data and deepening engagement with top clinics to maximize patient impact.
From small private practices to public community health centers, Kenya hosts over 17,000 primary care providers targeting the base of the pyramid. Ilara views the subset of high-potential clinics as the key avenue to sustainably redirect capital and modernize delivery systems from the ground up, in line with its digitization model.
With ample runway and local proof, Ilara also has ambitious plans to address the estimated $66 billion annual healthcare financing shortfall constraining the wider continent. As in East Africa, empowering local partners appears the most viable path forward given decentralized medical infrastructure.
