Women's health innovation, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda is one of Africa's clearest femtech and women's health innovation hubs, anchored by Kasha, the continent's first femtech e-commerce platform and the largest-ever funding round for a woman-founded African healthtech firm. The state has paired this with world-leading public infrastructure: Zipline drone delivery of blood and oxytocin that has sharply cut postpartum-hemorrhage deaths, nationwide digital tools for community health workers, and a first-in-Africa HPV programme now driving toward cervical cancer elimination by 2027. A 2024 landmark law expanded adolescent access to reproductive services without parental consent. Kigali's Norrsken House and HealthTech Hub Africa give the ecosystem a startup engine.
Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (2023), down from 210 in 2014/15 rwanda.unfpa.org
Modern contraceptive prevalence among married women (2020), up from 14% in 2000 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Reduction in in-hospital maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage at facilities served by Zipline drones thinkglobalhealth.org
Women screened for cervical cancer with HPV DNA tests (30% of eligible, by Oct 2025) afro.who.int
Latest major news
Recent developments span funding, policy and public-health milestones.
Policy & strategy
Government policy underpins the country's women's health gains.
Latest ecosystem moves
Kigali's hubs and platforms are scaling women's and maternal health tools.
Notable funding rounds
Kasha dominates the country's femtech capital, drawing global health and gender-lens investors.
Key players & hubs
A mix of startups, government programmes, hubs and NGOs drive Rwanda's women's health tech.
Active investors
Gender-lens funds, DFIs and pharma impact funds back Rwanda's women's health leaders.
White papers & reports
Key evidence and strategy documents on Rwanda's women's health tech.
Latest major news
Policy & strategy
Latest ecosystem moves
Notable funding rounds
Disclosed round size (USD)
Rounds by type
Key players & hubs
Ecosystem by organisation type
Africa's first femtech e-commerce and last-mile platform for women's health, founded 2016 by Joanna Bichsel; HQ Kigali techcabal.com
Drone delivery of blood and maternal medicines (oxytocin, tranexamic acid); delivered 28,754 blood units in 2023, mostly to women in childbirth ethicalbusiness.africa
Government-partnered digital telemedicine provider offering remote consultations, including to women nationwide businessfightspoverty.org
Point-of-care digital data app for frontline maternal and child health workers; 112,000+ mothers and children served tipglobalhealth.org
Novartis Foundation-backed accelerator at Norrsken House Kigali hosting up to 30 health startups novartisfoundation.org
Entrepreneurship hub and home to HealthTech Hub Africa, combining grant capital and structured financing uni2study.com
Drives Mission 2027 cervical cancer elimination, HPV vaccination and reproductive-health policy moh.gov.rw
Leads Digital Public Infrastructure for health, showcased at Africa HealthTech Summit 2025 risa.gov.rw
Supports digitising community health workers' maternal and child health records nationwide unicef.org
Supports family planning and maternal health, tracking MMR and contraceptive coverage rwanda.unfpa.org
Drove advocacy behind Rwanda's 2024 adolescent reproductive health law, with HDI and GLIHD reproductiverights.org
SMS-based pregnancy monitoring and alert system for community health workers, scaled nationwide from 2013 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Active investors
Active investors by headquarters
White papers & reports
Sources and references
Every figure and claim above links back to a public source. 15 references, updated 2026-08.