photo illustration.;PHOTO;AI
Across Africa, women entrepreneurs are building businesses that respond to some of the continent’s most pressing challenges, from gaps in healthcare access to food insecurity and climate pressures on agriculture.
Five of them are among 15 entrepreneurs from across the globe recognised by the 2026 Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award for developing innovations desighned to the realities of the communities they serve.
Selected from 1,172 applicants across 124 countries, the entrepreneurs are developing solutions that range from AI-powered medical devices and digital healthcare platforms to climate-resilient farming systems and technologies that help reduce food loss.
Chitkala Kalidas, Executive Director of Bayer Foundation, said the programme is focused on helping women entrepreneurs take their innovations further by connecting them with the resources needed to grow.
“These 15 women are already building solutions for better healthcare and food systems. Our role is to accelerate their journey to scale—connecting them to the capital, networks, and support they need to grow their impact faster.”
The African winners, representing Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Nigeria, are developing solutions that address challenges affecting millions of people across the continent.
In Kenya, Dr. Alice Muhuhu, founder of Aurora Health Systems, is working to improve access to cardiac diagnosis through portable, AI-powered electrocardiogram (ECG) devices.
Her venture was inspired by challenges she witnessed in healthcare facilities, where patients often faced delayed diagnosis due to limited access to ECG equipment and specialist interpretation.
Aurora’s technology combines affordable hardware, artificial intelligence and offline functionality, allowing frontline healthcare workers to detect cardiac conditions closer to where patients live.
The device can identify more than 50 cardiac conditions while also contributing to efforts to address gaps in health data, with African populations making up less than one per cent of existing ECG datasets.
In Ethiopia, Beamlak Alemayehu, founder of Medanit Digital Health, is using technology to simplify healthcare access.
A clinical nurse and social worker, Alemayehu founded Medanit after witnessing patients struggle with long waiting times, fragmented services and limited access to reliable health information.
The platform connects users with doctors, medicines, mental health support and appointments through a mobile application, website and low-bandwidth call centre, ensuring that people without smartphones or reliable internet access can still receive healthcare support.
Nigeria has two winners in this year’s cohort.
Omowunmi Christine Emmanuel-Ogah, founder of ExCare Health, is expanding primary healthcare by combining pharmacy services, diagnostics and immunisation under one model.
The idea developed after a personal experience where her aunt nearly lost her life because a critical medicine was unavaila ble when needed.
What started as a pharmacy has grown into a healthcare n etwork that includes pharmacies, diagnostic laboratories and an accredited immunisation centre.
Through its Vaxreach programme, ExCare is also supporting community pharmacies across Nigeria to provide vaccination services and strengthen frontline healthcare delivery.
Meanwhile, Funmilayo Ishola, founder of Dehydrator Hub Agrifood Technology Limited, is addressing post-harvest losses affecting farmers and agricultural businesses.
Having witnessed produce spoil before reaching consumers while growing up around Boundary Market in Lagos, Ishola built a company focused on preserving food and improving market opportunities for producers.
Using hybrid solar-powered dehydration technology, Dehydrator Hub converts fruits, vegetables, legumes and tubers into shelf-stable products.
Its Processing-as-a-Service model allows small agricultural businesses, particularly women-led enterprises, to access processing equipment, training and compliance support without the cost of owning facilities.
From Morocco, Sokayna Bellam, co-founder of Jodoor, is helping farmers adapt to water shortages and changing climate conditions through hydroponic farming systems.
Jodoor combines controlled-environment agriculture, technical support and market connections to help growers produce crops such as leafy greens and herbs using less water and land than conventional farming.
The company is also focused on creating employment opportunities and building more resilient agricultural systems in climate-stressed regions.
Each winner will receive a €25,000 cash prize and participate in a six-month accelerator programme focused on strengthening business operations, improving impact measurement and preparing their ventures for investment.
The recognition comes at a time when women entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers in accessing capital.
Bayer Foundation notes that women-led businesses received only 2.3 per cent of global venture capital funding in 2024.
Since its launch in 2021, the Bayer Foundation Women Entrepreneurs Award has supported women-led enterprises through funding, mentorship and global networks.
Previous cohorts have reached millions of people through healthcare innovations, climate initiatives and programmes supporting rural livelihoods.
