Grace Ashiru
The issue of women’s health care, especially regarding menstrual and reproductive health, has historically been a somewhat overlooked niche within the startup ecosystem of African healthcare, even though there has been a growing call for heightened attention in this sphere.
However, recent progress indicates an escalating interest in this vital area, as Kasha, a female-led African digital retail and end-point distribution platform, successfully secures an impressive Series B investment of $21 million.
Established in 2016 by CEO Joanna Bichsel, Kasha operates out of Rwanda with a distinct emphasis on women’s health, providing end-point distribution of pharmaceuticals and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs). The platform serves a diverse clientele, including individual consumers, small-scale resellers, hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics, delivering vital products such as contraceptives, sanitary pads, and pregnancy tests.
Although Kasha’s product range intersects with the broader FMCG industry, its core competency lies within health, extending even to the provision of telehealth and credit solutions. These services bridge the gap between consumers and doctors and provide inventory credit to pharmacies and clinics.
With this considerable financial injection and a commitment to serve the vast African market, Kasha sets its sights on becoming Africa’s premier digital platform for end-point health access. It also plans to broaden its reach into South Africa and West Africa later in the year.
The company’s explosive growth path is apparent, with its annual recurring revenue has seen a 50-fold surge since closing its Series A funding in 2020, shortly after its expansion into Kenya. Thus far, it has amassed $26 million in funding since its initial seed round.
The recent Series B funding round was led by Knife Capital, a $50 million Pan-African fund, and saw contributions from various investors. These included Finnfund, DFC, Tim Koogle (former Yahoo CEO), Beyond Capital Ventures, Altree Capital, Bamboo Capital’s BLOC Smart Africa Fund, and Five35 Ventures.
