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Nigeria’s Healthtracka, 23 Others selected for Google for Startups Growth Academy Program
Google for Startups has announced 24 startups selected for the 2024 cohort of the Growth Academy: AI for Health program. The program is designed to support high-potential startups across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) that are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionise healthcare and medical research.
Among the selected startups are Nigeria’s Healthtracka, Kenya’s Thalia Psychotherapy and TibuHealth, and South Africa’s Zoie Health. These companies exemplify the potential of AI to address pressing healthcare challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, advancing mental health integration, providing accessible outpatient services, and delivering affordable healthcare to underserved populations.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 116 million people across Africa were already estimated to be living with mental health conditions pre-pandemic and as things stand, there are fewer than two mental health workers for every 100 000 people. Thalia Psychotherapy’s AI-powered chatbot provides initial assessments and therapy sessions, increasing access to mental health support in a region with a critical shortage of mental health professionals. TibuHealth, on the other hand, delivers affordable outpatient services via “minute clinics” in partner pharmacies in high-density neighbourhoods.
Dorothy Ooko, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Google, Africa, said: “We are committed to supporting the growth of innovative startups, particularly those that are leveraging AI to address critical healthcare challenges. The Growth Academy: AI for Health program is a testament to this commitment, and we are excited to see the impact these startups will have on the future of healthcare.”
The three-month program will provide participants with intensive training, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Startups will benefit from workshops on best practices for AI, leadership development, responsible innovation, product design, and customer acquisition. Additionally, Google experts from Research, Health, Verily, Fitbit, and DeepMind will offer one-on-one mentorship sessions and technical project support.
Below are the participating startups, representing 13 countries from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and how they’re using AI models and technology to improve patient care and advance medical research:
Aide (United Kingdom) is a digital service that helps patients and clinicians better understand and manage chronic disease, specifically comorbidity.
AmplifAI (Saudi Arabia) combines AI driven thermography and computer vision to create a standardised and objective assessment for diabetic foot ulcers.
Biorce (Portugal) is developing solutions to enhance clinical trials through the power of AI, having created Jarvis, a clinical AI assistant.
C the Signs (United Kingdom) is an AI cancer prediction platform that helps identify patients at risk of cancer at its earliest and most curable stages.
Callyope (France) develops speech-based remote patient monitoring solutions that help caretakers assess treatment efficacy and detect relapses in serious mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Clear.bio (Netherlands) works to reverse diabetes type 2 by precision nutrition, providing best in class digital therapeutic based on real-time glucometry.
Ephion Health (Spain) develops digital biomarkers to ensure accurate disease monitoring and therapy assessment, through wearables data, clinical reports and AI for precise patient assessment.
Exakt Health (Germany) is a certified medical app for physiotherapy and evidence-based training with hyper-personalised treatment plans.
FiveLives (France) is a digital brain health platform for people aged 50+ to take control of their cognitive health, through combining clinically-validated brain health assessment and an engaging coaching program.
Healthtracka (Nigeria) is decentralising access to healthcare in Africa through remote medical diagnostics, connecting users with a seamless way to access at-home lab tests, receive clear results and doctors consultations.
HearMe (Poland) supports employees’ mental health through anonymous and secure 1:1 sessions with mental health professionals.
Juniver (United Kingdom) delivers on-demand help for eating disorders, with AI-powered interventions for urges, evidence-based education, personalised tools, peer support and telemedicine.
Mindgram (Poland) is a platform offering a holistic solution providing employees and their relatives with psychological and self-development support around the clock.
Motherbeing (Egypt) is a digital solution dedicated to Arab women’s sexual and reproductive health. The platform connects users with doctors, experts, personalised health education and an AI-powered health assistant.
Noah Labs (Germany) develops a voice-based machine learning software for the early detection of decompensated heart failure.
Nui (Germany) is an app providing family caregivers with support through an intelligent chatbot that provides guidance to find answers to the most pressing questions.
O7 Therapy (Egypt) bridges the treatment gap with cutting-edge tech and top-tier mental health professionals. The O7 Therapy app offers instant, anonymous support via encrypted Chat, Audio and Video Sessions.
Powerful Medical (Slovakia) revolutionises cardiovascular diagnostics with its AI-driven platform, enabling healthcare professionals across the EU and beyond to diagnose and manage 39 cardiovascular conditions.
Research Grid (United Kingdom) is an automation engine enabling faster, more successful clinical trials by engineering smart software that safely automates back office admin across the full lifecycle.
Rofim (France) specialises in developing telemedicine software. The Rofim platform is a telemedicine platform designed to connect patients with healthcare professionals, enable diagnosis and improve access to care.
SYCAI Medical (Spain) develops medical device software with the aim of preventing the appearance of cancer in the abdomen non-invasively.
Thalia Psychotherapy (Kenya) is a mental health startup focused on integrating mental health services into primary healthcare systems.
TibuHealth (Kenya) delivers affordable outpatient services via “minute clinics” in partner pharmacies in high-density neighbourhoods.
Zoie Health (South Africa) is a digital health platform focused on providing underserved, high-need populations with affordable, accessible and healthcare.
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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