Almouneer secures $3.6M to tackle diabetes and obesity prevalence in Africa

Egyptian healthtech, Almouneer has raised $3.6 million in a seed round from Dubai-based Global Ventures, and other international investors, including Proparco and Digital Africa via the Bridge Fund, and Wrightwood Investments.

The funds, according to Almouneer, will be used to develop and scale DRU app, the startup's healthtech platform that is used for lifestyle and diabetes management. Furthermore, the company is actively considering expanding its product offerings into adjacent markets within Africa and the Middle East. In the coming year, Almouneer has Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria, and Kenya at the forefront of its plans.

Using DRU, diabetic patients can upload their medical records, encompassing essential data like blood sugar levels and blood pressure readings. “We have many patients from Africa and the Middle East that come to Egypt for treatment because of two things. One is the good medical expertise here in the region—two, because of its affordability. So one of the biggest challenges when those patients go back home after getting treatment is that it’s hard to maintain contact with the doctors or healthcare provider,” according to co-founder and CEO Noha Khater.

DRU grants users access to their up-to-date medical information and current medication details, while also affording doctors the capability to review these records. Furthermore, as a subscription-based application, it offers teleconsultation features, facilitating patients in connecting with healthcare professionals via chat or phone calls.  

“Even if they do, they don’t have the same care or attention they would have when they fly in. So, the app allows them to upload medical records or the latest tests. It also helps with conversations with the doctors so they don’t have to fly back to Egypt now and then for a follow-up,” Khater added.

With the ongoing global surge in diabetes prevalence showing no signs of abating, the DRU app proves to be invaluable in regions like Africa and the Middle East, where the burden is particularly significant. Between 2019 and 2045, it is projected that the diabetes burden in the Middle East and North Africa will increase by 96%, trailing only behind the African region, which is expected to experience a staggering 143% rise in diabetes cases during the same period.

Almouneer's app plays a vital role in preventing and managing diabetes, prediabetes, and obesity by connecting patients with doctors and an extensive network of healthcare providers.

“Over the years, we have had the privilege of working with a stellar group of healthcare entrepreneurs who are materially improving the lives of patients worldwide, enhancing access, quality and cost of care,” Noor Sweid, Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures, says. “We are excited to work alongside them as they leverage their specialized expertise across business-building and chronic care to tackle a prevalent health issue across the Middle East and Africa. On its mission to become the lifelong companion of diabetic patients in the region, Almouneer is a unique and necessary innovation.”