Lafiya Innovators – Impact Hub Basel

The name “Lafiya” has been chosen because it means “health and wellness” in Hausa, a local dialect present in both Senegal and Ghana.

Objectives of the program

Lafiya Innovators is a startup incubation program to support and accelerate early to mid-stage startups addressing challenges around health and determinants of health throughout emerging economies. Lafiya Innovators is funded by Fondation Botnar and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Global Programme Health, developed by Impact Hub Basel, and implemented in collaboration with Impact Hub Accra, Impact Hub Dakar, Impact Hub Medellín and Impact Hub Phnom Penh, the program supports ambitious entrepreneurs throughout the venture lifecycle, from determining a basic business model to completing the due diligence process necessary for fundraising.

Why another startup incubation program?

By 2030, it is expected that 85% of the world’s population will be living in Low and Middle Income countries (LMICs). The substantial gap between the need for healthcare and the level of access in these countries has been well established over the past years. In 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that over 400 million people in LMICs lack access to essential health services. More than ever do we need innovative solutions to tackle these health challenges, and to do so we need to collaborate, share knowledge and expertise, and build bridges globally.

What do you gain from participation?

Six months of direct incubation support from Impact Hubs Basel, Accra, Dakar, Medellín and Phnom Penh – locally rooted, globally connected

Top startups receive an all-expenses paid one-week immersion trip to Switzerland, incl. ecosystem tours and networking

Six months of direct health innovation advisory and networking support from experts in the Impact Hub network

Modest financial support for top startups to help scale their business and impact

Who are We Looking For?

Open to for-profit and non-profit startups
Startups may be focused in any area of health and wellness, including but not limited to clinical care, public health, community-based health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). Startups may also focus on core operational areas, such as health-focused logistics, fintech, or edtech solutions.
Solutions may be focused on both the public or private sectors and may have a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) approach.

Previous editions

The Lafiya Innovators program has already supported 86 startups across four countries: Cambodia, Colombia, Ghana and Senegal. Here are some images and videos from previous editions.