London-based Berry Health, a consumer health startup, announced on Thursday that it has secured $1.6M (approximately €1.46M) in a pre-seed round of funding.
With a focus on mental health, dermatology and sexual health, the startup wants to democratise access to healthcare in Africa.
Investors in this round
The investment came from Lightspeed Venture Partners and General Catalyst.
The round also saw participation from angel investors such as Reddit COO Jen Wong, Thirty Madison co-founders Demetri Karagas and Steven Gutentag, New York tech lawyer and VC Ed and Betsy Zimmerman, and former US Surgeon General ’09 to ’13 Dr Regina Benjamin.
Paul Murphy, Partner at Lightspeed, says, “Our experience and long-standing relationship with Fredua (founder of Berry Health), coupled with his unique insights on the gaps that exist for patients across sub-Saharan Africa, made us extremely excited to partner with Berry Health.”
“We can’t wait for Fredua and the team to bring access to world-class healthcare to patients in Africa,” adds Murphy.
What does Berry Health offer?
According to the WHO, Africa now has the highest rates of clinically diagnosed depression and suicide, the second highest prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), and a burden of chronic diseases that is escalating quickly.
This is where Berry Health looks to make a difference.
The company provides remote diagnosis and treatment for chronic medical conditions.
Berry Health is dedicated to using technology to improve healthcare in Africa and eliminate the stigma associated with it. It aims to enhance lives by providing treatment for significant yet undertreated and stigmatised conditions while fostering patient agency.
The company was founded by Dr Fredua Akosa, a British-Ghanaian medical doctor, public health expert and former VC.
The team also includes VP of Marketing Lusiana Castiglione (ex-WPP), VP of Product Management Gaurav Kumar (ex-Instacart), Director of Design Daniel Harvey (ex-Babylon Health), and an expert clinical team.
