• MTN Innovation Lab hosts Africa HealthTech Export 2025 Bootcamp in Cotonou
  

• Event targets startup growth amid falling investment but high sector potential
  

• Experts stress need for clear regulation and better access to digital health tools
  

The MTN Innovation Lab in Cotonou opened the Africa HealthTech Export 2025 Bootcamp on Monday, November 17. The event brings together startups, investors, and institutions from countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Togo, and is organized in partnership with the innovation center Phi Hub.

Launched this year to support the growth of startups in Benin, the MTN Innovation Lab hosted masterclasses led by local and international experts. Sessions covered fundraising strategies, market expansion, and the regulatory environment for digital medical devices in Benin and within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Jean-Christian Omyale, Head of Regulatory Affairs for digital health solutions at the German pharmaceutical group Merck, said regulation should enable the development of healthtech rather than restrict it. The challenge, he noted, is to help startups innovate while ensuring they comply with a clear framework for market entry.

His remarks were echoed by Dr. Yossounon Chabi, Director General of the Beninese Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ABMed). He outlined the national and regional regulatory frameworks and explained how entrepreneurs can integrate compliance requirements into product development, whether they are building medical software, mobile applications, AI tools or IoT devices. Dr. Chabi stressed that pharmaceutical regulation applies only to products with an established clinical purpose, which is an important distinction for early-stage digital health companies.

African HealthTech Market Potential

Africa HealthTech Export 2025, which runs in Cotonou until November 21, comes at a time when the sector is expanding but slowing down. Healthtech startups attracted more than $1 billion in funding across Africa over the past five years. However, according to Partech, investment dropped by 70 percent in 2024 compared with the previous year. Despite this slowdown, the sector’s potential remains high.

Africa faces major gaps in healthcare access due to shortages in infrastructure and medical personnel. The World Health Organization projects a shortfall of 6.1 million health professionals in Africa by 2030, a 45 percent increase from 2013 estimates. Digital health solutions, including telemedicine, AI-assisted diagnostics and drone delivery of medical supplies, are seen as essential to help close this gap.

MTN Benin helped organize the bootcamp as part of its wider support for the sector. Through its incubator, the South African-owned telecom operator selected five promising projects this year for six to eight months of incubation support. Among them are “Medom,” a platform that connects patients and healthcare professionals for outpatient care, and “Elles,” which develops mobile solutions for African women's health.

While demand for healthtech services across Africa is strong, large-scale access remains limited. Beyond funding constraints, many countries face low rates of internet usage and the high cost of smartphones and data plans. These barriers limit the ability of less privileged populations to benefit from digital health services. Improving affordability and connectivity will be essential if healthtech is to become a pillar of long-term healthcare improvement on the continent.

Emiliano Tossou